How Joe Biden will determine Republican foreign policy
Russia's possible incursion into Ukraine will have repercussions here at home, not least in the intraconservative debate over foreign policy.
Under former President Trump, it became easier to make antiwar arguments to conventional Republicans because his instincts — if not always his policies or personnel choices — were against foreign intervention in most cases. Principled skeptics of George W. Bush's approach to these questions and partisans found themselves aligned.
That has gotten harder under President Biden. When Trump wanted to pull out of Afghanistan, conservatives who agreed were supporting the Republican administration's position. When Biden did pull out of Afghanistan in a particularly messy fashion, conservatives who wanted to keep the 20-year-old war going regained some of the ground they lost with the base.
Subscribe to 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.
Biden's response to a Russian invasion of Ukraine will be similarly clarifying. There are plenty of conservative influencers warning against intervention. "You should be against going to war with Russia," tweeted Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA. "Worth repeating: Our leaders care more about Ukraine's border than they do our own," tweeted Hillbilly Elegy author and Ohio Republican Senate candidate J.D. Vance. Tucker Carlson has been beating the drums against an active U.S. role, including letting Ukraine in NATO, on his nightly show.
But a lot will depend on what Biden does. The default Republican position will be to disagree with the Democratic president. If he talks about sending troops abroad, conservatives questioning what vital national interest is at stake will find it easy to get a hearing. It is just as easy to imagine conservatives panning inaction and portraying Biden as dovish and weak.
When former President Barack Obama pursued a disastrous regime-change war in Libya, Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.) was able to rally rank-and-file Republicans against it. When Obama struck a nuclear deal with Iran, the more hawkish Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) had the upper hand.
Republicans are still divided on whether "great nations do not fight endless wars" or whether a conservative foreign policy should seek benevolent global hegemony. It will be litigated during the 2024 primaries. But for now, it will be shaped by a Democratic president's decisions.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
W. James Antle III is the politics editor of the Washington Examiner, the former editor of The American Conservative, and author of Devouring Freedom: Can Big Government Ever Be Stopped?.
-
Is the royal family a security risk?
A Chinese spy's access to Prince Andrew has raised questions about Chinese influence in the UK
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Assad's future life in exile
The Explainer What lies ahead for the former Syrian dictator, now he's fled to Russia?
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
The best panettones for Christmas
The Week Recommends Supermarkets are embracing novel flavour combinations as sales of the festive Italian sweet bread soar
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK Published
-
Romania's election rerun
The Explainer Shock result of presidential election has been annulled following allegations of Russian interference
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Russia's shadow war in Europe
Talking Point Steering clear of open conflict, Moscow is slowly ratcheting up the pressure on Nato rivals to see what it can get away with.
By The Week UK Published
-
Cutting cables: the war being waged under the sea
In the Spotlight Two undersea cables were cut in the Baltic sea, sparking concern for the global network
By The Week UK Published
-
The nuclear threat: is Vladimir Putin bluffing?
Talking Point Kremlin's newest ballistic missile has some worried for Nato nations
By The Week UK Published
-
Russia vows retaliation for Ukrainian missile strikes
Speed Read Ukraine's forces have been using U.S.-supplied, long-range ATCMS missiles to hit Russia
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Has the Taliban banned women from speaking?
Today's Big Question 'Rambling' message about 'bizarre' restriction joins series of recent decrees that amount to silencing of Afghanistan's women
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Cuba's energy crisis
The Explainer Already beset by a host of issues, the island nation is struggling with nationwide blackouts
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published