Donald Trump campaigned on ending America’s “forever wars,” but six months into his presidency, he finds himself deepening U.S. involvement in conflicts he promised to resolve. This riveting conversation with foreign policy expert James Carden pulls back the curtain on how quickly Trump’s administration has embraced the very hawkish positions he once criticized.
When asked about sending more weapons to Ukraine recently, Trump declared, “We’re going to send some more weapons. We have to.” This marks a dramatic shift from his campaign pledges and raises serious questions about America’s dwindling stockpile of critical defense systems like Patriot missiles. The Pentagon has warned we possess only 25% of what’s needed for our own defense, yet more are heading to Ukraine.
Why the reversal? As Carden explains, “Personnel is policy.” By appointing hawks like Marco Rubio to lead both the State Department and serve as National Security Advisor, Trump has surrounded himself with advisors pushing for continued military engagement. Those advocating restraint, like Pentagon official Elbridge Colby, find themselves marginalized within an administration increasingly dominated by conventional foreign policy thinking.
The situation in Gaza presents an equally troubling picture. Netanyahu has made three visits to Washington since Trump took office, proudly declaring “unmatched coordination” between the leaders while vowing to “finish the job in Gaza.” Meanwhile, figures like Ron Dermer, described by Carden as effectively “an Israeli agent,” maintain extraordinary access to the White House, ensuring American policy remains aligned with Israeli interests regardless of the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding.
Perhaps most chilling was Trump’s comparison of his bombing of Iran to Harry Truman’s nuclear attacks on Japan – a revealing connection to the president who ushered in America’s national security state and decades of Cold War policy. This conversation exposes the powerful continuity in American foreign policy across administrations and the immense difficulty of changing course, even for a president who explicitly promised to do so.
What happens when a president campaigning on peace finds himself pulled into the same imperial mindset as his predecessors? Listen to understand the forces shaping America’s role in today’s most dangerous conflicts.
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