The Rachman Review Trump's predatory foreign policy
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Feb 12, 2026 
Stephen Walt, Harvard international relations scholar famous for coining 'predatory hegemon', discusses how an aggressive US posture reshapes alliances and global order. Short takes cover how leverage can yield quick gains, why allies pivot, the openings this creates for China and Russia, and the political and corruption risks that follow such a strategy.
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Predatory Hegemon Defined
- A predatory hegemon structures ties to always take the larger share of benefits from allies and adversaries alike.
- Stephen Walt argues this contrasts with the post-WWII U.S. role as a relatively benign hegemon until the Trump administration.
Historical Precedents, Modern U.S. Twist
- Predatory empires are historical and not new, from Athens to colonial powers and tributary systems.
- Walt says the novelty is the U.S. reversing from benign postwar hegemony to predatory behavior under Trump.
Mix Of Personality And Structure
- Walt attributes predatory U.S. policy to both Trump's personal worldview and structural shifts in global politics.
- He sees Trump's deal-making, transactional instincts amplified by perceptions that allies and China exploited the U.S.