If Republican nominee Donald Trump becomes the next president of the United States, how will he design his foreign policy? Which advisors will he lean on the most?
Elbridge Colby was a Pentagon official under former President Trump and was influential in crafting the 2018 U.S. National Defense Strategy. Today, he argues that the Biden administration’s foreign policy isn’t delivering. Instead, he contends, U.S. foreign-policy strategy should put Americans first, while allies should do more to help themselves.
What does that mean in practice, though? What global arenas should the United States focus on in 2025 and beyond? How will a new Trump administration shift its attention? Colby joined FP’s Ravi Agrawal for an in-depth conversation.
Video clips from this event
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“There’s really no question that Asia is more important than Europe,” former Pentagon official Elbridge Colby tells FP’s Ravi Agrawal.
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Colby makes the case for taking a harder stance with European allies: “We need allies to do their part, and so we should act accordingly.” He added, “If Trump-proofing NATO leads the European countries and Canada to actually spend more and meet their defense commitments … that’s good for them.”
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How does Chinese President Xi Jinping view the war in Ukraine? Would he be emboldened in Taiwan by a U.S. withdrawal of support in Europe? Colby argues that Xi cares more about military balance in Asia, while his intent in Ukraine is merely to bleed us out.
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Considering Chinese investment and power, Colby contends that neither the U.S. nor Taiwan is adequately prepared to defend against a potential conflict.
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Is there a Trump doctrine? Colby explains how he sees the Trump viewpoint on foreign policy.
