A Glimpse at a Trump Foreign Policy Agenda for 2025
Sep 24, 2023
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The podcast discusses the Heritage Foundation's foreign policy recommendations, such as increasing military spending to counter China and Russia and reducing restrictions on weapon transfers. They also explore Donald Trump's proposal to decrease Congress's control over foreign arms sales. Additionally, the chapter highlights concerns about the increasing power of the administrative state and the president in defense spending and decision-making.
The Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 aims to establish a consistent Republican party foreign policy focused on countering China by increasing military spending and transferring more weapons to Taiwan and other countries in East and Southeast Asia, potentially escalating tensions with China.
Both Donald Trump's presidential agenda and the Heritage Foundation's report advocate for limiting Congress' role in foreign arms sales, raising concerns about transparency and security issues and potentially conflicting with conservative principles of limiting executive power.
Deep dives
Increased Military Spending and Tensions with China
The Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 aims to establish a consistent Republican party foreign policy, particularly regarding countering China. The report suggests increasing military spending on weapons and transferring more weapons to Taiwan and other countries in East and Southeast Asia. However, these recommendations align with a 'peace through strength' ideology, potentially escalating tensions with China. The proposed policies also include reducing restrictions on weapons transfers, which may raise concerns about accountability and oversight.
Diminished Congressional Role in Arms Sales
Both Donald Trump's presidential agenda and the Heritage Foundation's report advocate for limiting Congress' role in foreign arms sales. They seek to eliminate hold periods, allowing the president to proceed with arms sales without sufficient congressional oversight. This proposal raises concerns about transparency and security issues. It highlights a potential inconsistency within Congress, where support or opposition to arms sales often aligns more with policy coalitions than party lines. The report's recommendations expand the power of the administrative state and may conflict with conservative principles of limiting executive power.
Donald Trump might prefer to leave Congress out of the loop on decisions about which nations or actors receive U.S. weapons. A new Heritage Foundation report also leans toward giving POTUS fewer checks on foreign policy moves. Jordan Cohen comments.