The New Yorker Radio Hour Trump’s New Brand of Imperialism
45 snips
Jan 9, 2026 
Historian Daniel Immerwahr, a professor at Northwestern University and author of "How to Hide an Empire," delves into Trump's embrace of imperialism and the historical roots of U.S. interventionism. He discusses the surprising global reach of U.S. military bases, often kept hidden, and contrasts Trump's rhetoric with traditional presidential norms. The conversation touches on the strategic implications of U.S. aggression, particularly regarding China and Russia, and the long-term instability that results from interventions, urging a critical reevaluation of America's foreign policies.
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Annexation Returns To U.S. Rhetoric
- Donald Trump openly embraces territorial annexation in ways recent presidents did not.
- This marks a rhetorical and practical return to earlier, more explicit forms of imperialism.
A Hidden Global Basing Network
- The United States maintains a vast, often hidden global footprint through territories and bases.
- Daniel Immerwahr notes roughly 750 military bases exist outside the mainland, many unreported.
Transactional Power Over Impartial Rhetoric
- Trump discards the traditional impartial rhetoric of the liberal international order.
- He treats pretexts as constraints and openly describes interventions in transactional terms like oil.
