America Last: How Trump’s Foreign Policy Betrays the Military
He promises peace but flirts with war. He praises the troops but cuts their funding. Who really wins in Trump’s defense agenda?
Donald Trump claims to be the biggest defender of the military, a man who “loves the troops” and wants to keep America out of endless wars. His rhetoric is full of bravado and chest-thumping nationalism, and he promises to put “America First.” But look beyond the slogans. The reality tells a different, chaotic, and deeply contradictory story.
In the span of a few weeks, the man who has repeatedly called veterans “suckers and losers” has:
Threatened military action against Panama over the Panama Canal despite its longstanding alliance with the U.S.
Gutted the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) through mass layoffs and hiring freezes while at the same time demanding that NATO allies spend more on their militaries
Floated the idea of giving nuclear weapons to Ukraine, while just days earlier saying Ukraine should accept its territorial losses because “Russia fought hard for the land.”
This chaotic mess of policies is not just confusing. It is dangerous. It raises two key questions: What is Trump’s real strategy, and can anyone, friend or foe, trust the United States under his leadership?
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Isolationism? Unless We’re Threatening an Ally
From the beginning of his political career, Trump has positioned himself as an isolationist, a man who wants to keep the U.S. out of “endless wars” and cut unnecessary foreign entanglements. Yet, here we are in February 2025, and Trump is openly threatening Panama—an ally—over control of the Panama Canal. He’s also repeatedly floated the idea of buying Greenland and absorbing Canada, two allies that have no interest in his imperialistic statements.
This is not isolationism; this is reckless unpredictability.
Pro-Military? Then Why the Massive Cuts to the VA and DoD?
Trump’s administration just laid off over 1,000 VA employees, leaving veterans with even fewer resources in a department that is already critically understaffed.
Meanwhile, Trump’s DoD budget includes significant cuts that could weaken military readiness. Yet, he’s pressuring NATO allies to increase their military spending while cutting U.S. defense funding.
How does this make sense if you’re a U.S. service member or veteran?
Trilateral Disarmament… While Pushing Europe to Build Up?
Another bizarre contradiction: Trump recently floated the idea of trilateral disarmament with Russia and China, suggesting that all three countries reduce their military spending and nuclear arsenals. This proposal is ridiculous as none of these three nations will likely uphold their end of the bargain.
At the same time, he’s been pressuring Europe to spend more on its militaries, even threatening to abandon NATO allies who don’t hit spending targets. His Secretary of Defense has clearly stated that the U.S. would block Ukraine from joining NATO, while Trump is telling NATO nations they should defend it.
Again, what’s the strategy here?
Who Wins and Who Loses in Trump’s Foreign Policy?
✔ Winners
✅ Defense Contractors → Despite budget reductions, military privatization shifts spending toward private military contracts.
✅ Adversarial Nations → Confusion and chaos provide more space for them to act while attention is divided and trust is undermined.
❌ Losers
❌ Veterans → Facing VA layoffs, limited access to benefits, and potential privatization of healthcare.
❌ Active Military → Undermining readiness, creating confusion, and potentially in the line of fire.
❌ Global Security → Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy, military cuts, and contradictory alliances make the world less stable, increasing the risk of conflicts and weakening international defense coalitions.
While fiscal responsibility is often cited as a reason for budget cuts, the policy choices suggest redistributing resources to private industry and nationalistic projects rather than public welfare.
So What’s the Truth? Is It Chaos or Just a Total Lack of Strategy?
There are two possible explanations for the contradictions in Trump’s military and foreign policy approach:
1️⃣ Strategic Chaos → Trump deliberately keeps policies unpredictable to maintain negotiation leverage. Allies and adversaries can’t plan, giving the U.S. a tactical advantage (but at the cost of trust and stability).
2️⃣ Lack of Cohesion → Trump’s administration lacks a clear doctrine, pushing contradictory policies based on short-term wins rather than long-term strategy.
Whether Trump’s foreign policy chaos is deliberate unpredictability or complete incompetence, the result is the same: America is becoming an unreliable military power, partner, and ally.
Allies don’t know if we will defend them.
Adversaries don’t know if we will attack them.
U.S. troops don’t know what mission they’re preparing for.
If Trump is playing strategic chaos, the risk is that no one will trust the U.S.
If Trump is pushing for short-term wins with no real strategy, then America is headed for a foreign policy disaster.
Either way, the troops, our veterans, and our allies deserve better than this. This isn’t a video game. These are real lives at risk.
Bibliography
CNN. “Panama, China, and the U.S.: Why the Panama Canal Is Back in the Spotlight.” February 2, 2025.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/02/americas/panama-china-belt-and-road-initiative-rubio-visits-intl-latam/index.html
New York Post. “Pete Hegseth Works Out with Soldiers in Poland as Military Reasserts Strength.” February 14, 2025.
https://nypost.com/2025/02/14/us-news/hegseth-works-out-with-soldiers-in-renewed-focus-on-strength/
Reuters. “How Hard Have U.S. Agencies Been Hit by Trump and Musk’s Layoffs?” February 14, 2025.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/how-hard-have-us-agencies-been-bit-by-trump-musks-layoffs-2025-02-14/
Politico. “Mass Layoffs, Court Challenges, and Buyouts: Making Sense of Trump’s Plans to Shrink the Federal Workforce.” February 14, 2025.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/14/trump-federal-worker-layoffs-explainer-018912
The Guardian. “Ah, Here’s Trump’s Peace Plan for Ukraine – Or Rather, a Plan to Leave It in Pieces.” February 14, 2025.
News.am. “Trump Floats Possible Nuclear Arms Assistance to Ukraine.” February 12, 2025.
https://news.am/eng/news/853335.html
Reuters. “Trump Says He Wants to Work with Russia, China on Limiting Nuclear Weapons.” February 13, 2025.
https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-says-he-wants-work-with-russia-china-limiting-nuclear-weapons-2025-02-13/
The Times. “Trump Announces Reciprocal Tariffs and Defense Cuts—As It Happened.” February 12, 2025.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/trump-speech-reciprocal-tariffs-latest-news-gpftrv80s
The assault on civil servants is in an effort to privatize the services provided by them and will raise costs with less accountability. It is a gift to the contractors that would fill that void.