Will Trump's foreign policy team be a reprise of the Bush years?
The neoconservative foreign policy establishment's distaste for Donald Trump (and perhaps even preference of Hillary Clinton) is well-documented, but now that he's president-elect — well, the siren song of power calls.
As the Trump transition team prepares to assemble the new administration's foreign policy advisers, Politico reports that George W. Bush alums are torn over whether to work for Trump if he asks them:
With the GOP taking the House, the Senate, and the presidency, however, the prospect of power is enticing. That being said, the main reason some say they will work for Trump is because he's a foreign policy novice who will suddenly have access to the nuclear codes and who will be taking over during an especially volatile time on the global front. Even those determined not to work for Trump say they hope he finds good people who will do so for the country's sake. [Politico]
Whether Trump will ask remains to be seen. Infamously vindictive — he says his famous Bible verse is "an eye for an eye" — some suspect he will not let bygones be bygones. "I don't think they’re going to be brought on board, even if they wanted to be," said Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), an early Trump supporter. "I think that Donald Trump remembers who supported him and who didn’t."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Bonnie Kristian was a deputy editor and acting editor-in-chief of TheWeek.com. She is a columnist at Christianity Today and author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (forthcoming 2022) and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018). Her writing has also appeared at Time Magazine, CNN, USA Today, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, and The American Conservative, among other outlets.
-
Pakistan: Trump’s ‘favourite field marshal’ takes chargeIn the Spotlight Asim Munir’s control over all three branches of Pakistan’s military gives him ‘sweeping powers’ – and almost unlimited freedom to use them
-
Codeword: December 6, 2025The daily codeword puzzle from The Week
-
Crossword: December 6, 2025The daily crossword from The Week
-
Trump tightens restrictions for work visasSpeed Read The length of work permits for asylum seekers and refugees has been shortened from five years to 18 months
-
Supreme Court revives Texas GOP gerrymanderSpeed Read Texas Republicans can use the congressional map they approved in August at President Donald Trump’s behest
-
Boat strike footage rattles some lawmakersSpeed Read ‘Disturbing’ footage of the Sept. 2 attack on an alleged drug-trafficking boat also shows the second strike that killed two survivors who were clinging to the wreckage
-
Trump boosts gas cars in fuel economy rollbackspeed read Watering down fuel efficiency standards is another blow to former President Biden’s effort to boost electric vehicles
-
Hegseth’s Signal chat put troops in peril, probe findsSpeed Read The defense secretary risked the lives of military personnel and violated Pentagon rules, says new report
-
Trump pardons Texas Democratic congressmanspeed read Rep. Henry Cuellar was charged with accepting foreign bribes tied to Azerbaijan and Mexico
-
GOP wins tight House race in red Tennessee districtSpeed Read Republicans maintained their advantage in the House
-
Trump targets ‘garbage’ Somalis ahead of ICE raidsSpeed Read The Department of Homeland Security will launch an immigration operation targeting Somali immigrants in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area
