Conversations with Bill Kristol Robert Kagan on Trump’s Foreign Policy and the New World Disorder
Dec 4, 2025
In this engaging conversation, historian Robert Kagan discusses the implications of Trump's foreign policy, suggesting it marks a significant departure from the post-1945 international order. He warns of a return to a dangerous multipolar world and the erosion of American security as allies reconsider their reliance on the U.S. Kagan also critiques Trump's anti-liberal stance, connects domestic politics to foreign policy shifts, and highlights the risks of rearmament in Europe and Asia. His insights underscore the precariousness of global stability in this new era.
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Liberal Order Relied On A Unique Bargain
- The post-1945 liberal order depended on other powers voluntarily accepting U.S. security and restraint.
- Without that mutual trust, the world reverts to dangerous multipolar competition similar to pre-1945 history.
Trust Erosion Breaks Alliances
- Trump has signaled allies cannot rely on U.S. security guarantees and is economically coercive toward them.
- That combination undermines alliance structures and pushes allies to rearm and self-rely.
Anti-Liberalism Threatens The Order
- The Trump movement is explicitly anti-liberal and rejects the ideological glue of the postwar order.
- That ideological shift makes U.S. foreign policy less committed to defending liberal norms abroad.
