Donald Trump promises to replace 'randomness with purpose' in foreign policy speech
A more restrained Donald Trump appeared in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, deviating from his usual off-the-cuff speeches to deliver a scripted address on foreign policy. "America first will be the major and overriding theme of my administration," Trump said.
Trump's vision was broad and lacked specific details, with one of his foreign policy advisers telling the media beforehand that Trump was "not going to say 'we're going to send three brigades to do the job.' No. He's going to confirm the principle that ISIS should be destroyed so that the other political settlements can work."
Indeed, Trump listed a number of his goals, including stopping ISIS and radical Islam while "working with our allies in the Muslim world." He additionally defended his Muslim ban as being "a pause for reassessment."
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.
Trump further named "rebuilding our military" as a goal of a Trump administration, as well as modernizing the nuclear program, restructuring NATO, and treating veterans "really, really well." Trump also adopted a non-interventionist message, assuring that, "If America fights, it must only fight to win."
While he primarily leveled criticisms at President Obama, Trump saved some shots for Hillary Clinton, too. "Our foreign policy is a complete and total disaster," Trump said, vowing to "replace randomness with purpose, ideology with strategy, and chaos with peace."
"We will win, if I become president," Trump said. "We want to bring peace to the world."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
5 chilling cartoons about increasing ICE aggressionCartoons Artists take on respect for the law, the Fourth Amendment, and more
-
Political cartoons for January 24Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include 3D chess, political distractions, and more
-
Ryanair/SpaceX: could Musk really buy the airline?Talking Point Irish budget carrier has become embroiled in unlikely feud with the world’s wealthiest man
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
-
Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Kelly over videospeed read Retired Navy fighter pilot Mark Kelly appeared in a video reminding military service members that they can ‘refuse illegal orders’
-
Trump says US ‘in charge’ of Venezuela after Maduro grabSpeed Read The American president claims the US will ‘run’ Venezuela for an unspecified amount of time, contradicting a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
