The global benefits of Trump's swagger

Here's why Trumpism is better than zombie Obamaism

Donald Trump has the ability to make a greater impact globally than his predecessor.
(Image credit: REUTERS/Carlo Allegri)

Barack Obama flunked on foreign affairs. And believe it or not, Donald Trump can do better.

Some Obama failures (Iraq, Afghanistan) have Bush roots, and can largely be laid at the feet of America's 43rd president. But that's hardly true for many of the messes around the globe. For but one example: European relations are weaker and worse than the day Obama took office. He has no right to sigh at Europe's malcontents, having taken European stability for granted and paying the price year by year. And now, the specter of European illiberalism has our global elites frightened that Trump's America will be too dysfunctional to keep darkness and chaos at bay.

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James Poulos

James Poulos is a contributing editor at National Affairs and the author of The Art of Being Free, out January 17 from St. Martin's Press. He has written on freedom and the politics of the future for publications ranging from The Federalist to Foreign Policy and from Good to Vice. He fronts the band Night Years in Los Angeles, where he lives with his son.