A document was published Friday in Washington, outlining American Foreign Policy,
as defined by the trump Administration. Below, le Monde walks us through it (in French):
Copilot:
Last Friday, theTrump Administration made public a document on America's Foreign Policy. What was the occasion? The president was off to a meeting somewhere...
The occasion was the release of President Trump’s 2025 National Security Strategy on December 4, 2025, just before he appeared at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C. to present and frame the document publicly.
📌 What Happened
On Thursday, December 4, 2025, the Trump Administration formally unveiled its National Security Strategy (NSS), a document that every U.S. president typically issues once per term to outline America’s global priorities.
The NSS is a comprehensive foreign policy blueprint that guides how U.S. agencies—from the Pentagon to the Treasury—allocate resources and set priorities.
President Trump tied the release to a speech at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., where he highlighted the strategy’s themes.
🌍 Key Themes of the 2025 NSS
Western Hemisphere focus: A stronger U.S. military presence in the Americas to counter migration, drug trafficking, and adversarial powers.
Europe in decline: The document controversially described Europe as facing “civilizational erasure” and criticized EU policies.
Energy dominance: Calls for a return to “American energy dominance,” rejecting climate science consensus.
Russia-Ukraine war: Framed resolution of the conflict as a central U.S. interest.
Limited attention to Middle East & Africa: Unlike past strategies, these regions received less emphasis.
⚠️ Why It Matters
The NSS is not just symbolic—it influences budgets, military deployments, and diplomatic priorities across the U.S. government.
Trump’s version marked a sharp departure from previous strategies, emphasizing non-interventionism and “America First” principles.
The timing—right before his public remarks in Washington—was deliberate, giving the president a platform to frame his foreign policy worldview as he headed into further international engagements.
✅ Takeaway
The “document on America’s Foreign Policy” you’re referring to was the 2025 National Security Strategy, released on December 4, 2025, with the occasion being Trump’s speech at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C. to present the strategy.
Would you like me to break down how this NSS compares to earlier ones (like Biden’s 2022 version) so you can see how Trump’s approach diverges? That contrast is quite revealing.
Yes...
In short: Trump’s 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS) diverges sharply from Biden’s 2022 version. Trump’s plan emphasizes “America First,” Western Hemisphere dominance, and skepticism of global alliances, while Biden’s focused on strategic competition with China and Russia, climate change, and rebuilding coalitions.
🔑 Trump’s 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS)
Western Hemisphere focus: Calls for U.S. “preeminence” in the Americas, reviving a Monroe Doctrine–style approach.
Europe in decline: Describes Europe as facing “civilizational erasure,” criticizing EU integration and migration policies.
Energy dominance: Rejects climate science consensus, promoting fossil fuel expansion and “energy independence.”
China & Taiwan: Mentions deterring China from seizing Taiwan but does not frame Beijing as the top challenge.
Middle East & Africa deemphasized: Unlike past strategies, these regions are not central priorities.
Economic nationalism: Advocates trade protectionism and reshoring industries.
Tone: Skeptical of alliances, critical of NATO/EU, and focused on sovereignty over multilateralism.
🌍 Biden’s 2022 National Security Strategy (NSS)
Strategic competition with China & Russia: Framed China as the “most consequential geopolitical challenge,” with Russia as an acute threat.
Climate change as core security issue: Positioned climate action as central to U.S. security and prosperity.
Coalition-building: Emphasized alliances (NATO, EU, Indo-Pacific partners) as force multipliers.
Domestic investment: Linked industrial policy, technology, and supply chains to national security.
Democracy promotion: Framed defending democratic values as a strategic imperative.
Tone: Cooperative, multilateral, and future-oriented, stressing shared challenges like pandemics and cyber threats.
⚠️ Why This Matters
Policy direction: Trump’s NSS signals a retreat from global coalition leadership, focusing instead on regional dominance and domestic sovereignty.
Global perception: Allies may see the U.S. as less reliable, while adversaries may interpret the shift as opportunity.
Climate & energy: The stark contrast on climate policy could reshape global negotiations and energy markets.
👉 The contrast is striking: Biden’s NSS was about global competition and cooperation, Trump’s is about regional dominance and unilateralism.
Would you like me to map out how these differences could affect Canada specifically—given your location in Quebec—on trade, defense, and climate policy? That could make the comparison more tangible for you.
I find mention of regional dominance disquieting. The US coudn't be stronger within...
I hear you — the phrase regional dominance can sound unsettling, because it implies projecting power outward rather than focusing inward. Let’s unpack why it appears in Trump’s 2025 National Security Strategy and why it might feel disquieting.
🌎 What “Regional Dominance” Means in the NSS
Western Hemisphere focus: The document emphasizes U.S. “preeminence” in the Americas, echoing the old Monroe Doctrine.
Strategic intent: It suggests the U.S. should be the uncontested power in its own hemisphere, limiting influence from rivals like China or Russia.
Practical implications: More military presence in Latin America, tighter border controls, and economic leverage over neighbors.
🏠 Why Critics Say “Stronger Within” Matters More
Domestic resilience: Many argue that America’s strength comes from internal stability — strong institutions, infrastructure, and social cohesion.
Economic competitiveness: Investing in technology, education, and industry at home can be more effective than projecting dominance abroad.
Global credibility: Allies often judge U.S. leadership by how well it manages its own democracy and economy.
Risk of overreach: History shows that focusing too much on external dominance can drain resources and weaken domestic priorities.
⚖️ The Tension
Trump’s NSS: Frames dominance as necessary to secure borders and prevent external threats.
Alternative view: A stronger U.S. “within” — through domestic investment, unity, and innovation — naturally translates into influence abroad without needing to assert dominance.
💡 Takeaway
Your instinct is valid: regional dominance can sound like a distraction from internal strength. The debate is really about where security comes from — outward projection of power versus inward resilience.
Would you like me to show you historical examples where the U.S. leaned too heavily on external dominance (like Vietnam or Iraq) versus times it invested inward (like the New Deal or post-WWII industrial boom)? That contrast might make the “stronger within” idea more concrete.
I just thought this might be a reference to the US stance toward Canada, Mexico...
That’s a very perceptive connection. When Trump’s 2025 National Security Strategy talks about regional dominance or Western Hemisphere preeminence, it does indeed touch on the U.S. stance toward Canada and Mexico, since they are America’s closest neighbors and core partners in North America.
🇨🇦 Canada
Trade & energy: Canada is deeply tied to the U.S. economy through USMCA (the successor to NAFTA). A push for “energy dominance” could mean pressure on Canadian oil, gas, and hydro exports.
Defense & NORAD: Canada is a critical partner in continental defense. A U.S. emphasis on dominance could translate into stronger expectations for Canadian military spending and cooperation in Arctic security.
Diplomatic tone: The NSS’s skepticism of alliances may strain traditional U.S.-Canada cooperation, especially on climate and multilateral institutions.
🇲🇽 Mexico
Border security: The NSS highlights migration and drug trafficking as threats. This points to tougher U.S. border enforcement and demands on Mexico to curb flows northward.
Economic leverage: Mexico’s manufacturing supply chains are vital to U.S. industry. Economic nationalism could mean stricter trade rules or tariffs.
Security cooperation: The U.S. may push Mexico harder on cartel violence and fentanyl trafficking, framing it as a hemispheric security issue.
🌎 Why “Regional Dominance” Matters
It signals that the U.S. sees North America not as a partnership of equals, but as a sphere where it must remain the uncontested leader.
For Canada and Mexico, this stance can feel less like cooperation and more like pressure — whether on defense, trade, or border issues.
The language echoes the Monroe Doctrine tradition, where Washington historically sought to limit external influence in the Americas (e.g., Europe, now China).
✅ Takeaway
Your intuition was right: regional dominance in Trump’s NSS is very much about Canada and Mexico. It frames them less as allies in a balanced partnership and more as neighbors within a U.S.-led sphere of influence.
Would you like me to dig into how Canada’s government has responded so far to this NSS? That could show whether Ottawa sees it as a threat, a challenge, or simply rhetoric.
Tell me about the Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine was a U.S. foreign policy announced in 1823 that declared the Americas off-limits to future European colonization and intervention. It became a cornerstone of American diplomacy, shaping relations in the Western Hemisphere for nearly two centuries.
🌎 Origins and Context
Date & Author: Introduced by President James Monroe on December 2, 1823, during his annual message to Congress.
Backdrop: Many Latin American nations had recently gained independence from Spain. The U.S. feared that European powers—especially Spain, France, and Russia—might attempt to reassert control.
British Role: Britain, with its powerful navy, supported the idea of limiting European influence in the Americas, which helped give the doctrine practical weight.
📜 Core Principles
No New Colonization: The Western Hemisphere was closed to future European colonization.
Non-Interference: European powers should not interfere in the political affairs of newly independent nations in the Americas.
U.S. Neutrality: In return, the U.S. pledged not to meddle in European internal affairs or wars.
⚖️ Significance
Immediate Impact: Initially, the doctrine had little enforcement power—the U.S. lacked a strong military. It relied on Britain’s naval dominance to deter European intervention.
Long-Term Influence: Over time, it became a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy, invoked repeatedly to justify American actions in Latin America.
Roosevelt Corollary (1904): Expanded the doctrine, asserting the U.S. right to intervene in Latin American nations to stabilize them, effectively turning the Monroe Doctrine into a tool of U.S. imperialism.
Cold War Era: Used to oppose Soviet influence in Cuba and elsewhere in the hemisphere.
🌐 Legacy
Latin America: While it protected independence from Europe, many Latin American nations saw it as a cover for U.S. dominance.
Modern Relevance: The doctrine still echoes in U.S. policy discussions, especially regarding foreign influence in the Americas.
✅ In short: The Monroe Doctrine began as a defensive policy against European colonialism but evolved into a justification for U.S. intervention and influence across the Western Hemisphere.
Would you like me to break down how different U.S. presidents have reinterpreted the Monroe Doctrine over time—from Theodore Roosevelt to the Cold War and beyond? That’s where the story gets even more interesting.
* * *
Today is my birthday. I got invited to lunch by Lyse yesterday, and feasted on an Italian
poutine. This evening, I am watching a film, Scarface; apparently a cult film of the ganster
genre. I am told it was extremely cold on the day of my actual birth. Well, it is again...
Below, an AI generated image of Stalin eating McDonalds. The historians of the future
are going to be sooo confused!!
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