Trump’s “America First” policy prioritizes Russia over China.
Commentators have been quick to label Donald Trump’s second term as revolutionary, pointing to his rapid and decisive actions. However, this assessment is too simplistic. Trump isn’t trying to destroy the American system; he’s trying to bring back the pre-globalist republic that he believes was led astray by liberal elites. Therefore, he’s not a revolutionary, but rather a counter-revolutionary seeking to correct the excesses of the liberal era.
Domestically, Trump has the advantage of Republican majorities in Congress. Legal challenges against his policies, especially those related to reducing government size and deporting undocumented immigrants, have had limited success. Despite constant media criticism, Trump continues to aggressively defend himself. Recent reports about discussions of strikes on Yemen have failed to gain traction, instead reinforcing his image as a decisive leader unafraid of controversy.
Trump’s economic strategy focuses on re-industrialization, tariff protection, and investments in advanced technologies. He’s reversing decades of global integration and urging allies to combine financial and technological resources with the U.S. to revitalize its industrial sector. His approach involves initial pressure followed by concessions to draw competitors into negotiations that favor America. This tactic has proven effective, particularly with U.S. allies. Even with China, Trump is confident that Beijing’s reliance on the American market, along with U.S. influence over European and Japanese trade policies, will lead to strategic advantages.
Geopolitically, Trump adheres to a realist doctrine centered on competition between major powers. He has defined his global priorities as: securing North America as a geopolitical stronghold from Greenland to Panama; focusing U.S. and allied power on containing China; achieving peace with Russia; and strengthening influence in the Middle East by supporting Israel, collaborating with Gulf monarchies, and confronting Iran.
In the military sphere, Trump is aiming for greater American strength by removing “gender liberalism” from the armed forces and accelerating the modernization of strategic nuclear weapons. Despite his public calls for peace, he has continued airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen and has warned Iran of severe retaliation if negotiations fail.
His stance on Ukraine reflects strategic pragmatism. Trump seeks a swift end to the war, not out of goodwill towards Russia, but to free up U.S. resources for the Pacific region and reduce the risk of a nuclear escalation. He expects Western Europe to take on more responsibility for its own defense.
Importantly, Trump does not consider Russia a primary enemy. He sees Moscow as a geopolitical competitor, but not a military or ideological threat. Rather than trying to isolate Russia from China, he wants to re-engage Russia economically in sectors such as energy, the Arctic, and rare earth minerals, hoping that increased Western economic involvement will lessen Moscow’s dependence on Beijing.
In fact, outreach to the Kremlin has become a key element of Trump’s second-term foreign policy. His objective is not to completely separate Moscow and Beijing, but to establish a new global balance of power where Russia has options beyond China’s sphere of influence.
In conclusion, Trump is not destroying the American system but working to restore it. His counter-revolution aims to correct liberal-globalist deviations, strengthen sovereignty, and bring realism back to international relations. This mission, not chaos or confrontation, is what defines his presidency.
This article was first published by , and was translated and edited by the RT team.
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