Full Story The real reason behind Trump’s nasty breakup with Europe
Dec 13, 2025
Joseph Stieb, a military and diplomatic history scholar from the University of North Carolina, unpacks the implications of Trump's stark criticism of Europe. He discusses how the new national security strategy reflects a cultural critique and aligns with far-right immigration views. Stieb highlights the administration's hostility towards the EU and its shifting foreign policy priorities, revealing a blend of domestic culture wars with international relations. He also examines the strategic partnerships favoring autocrats over democracies, illustrating a bold new approach to global alliances.
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U.S. Strategy Adopts Far‑Right Language
- The 2024 National Security Strategy uses online-right language to portray Europe as 'weak' and demographically threatened.
- Joseph Stieb warns this signals siding with European far-right cultural politics and challenges NATO ties.
Culture Over Democracy In Alliances
- The NSS frames alliance value by cultural alignment and demographics rather than democracy.
- Stieb says this could prioritise autocratic partners and reduce emphasis on liberal democratic values.
MAGA Built Its Own Foreign‑Policy School
- The MAGA movement has matured its own foreign‑policy ideology and institutions since 2016.
- Stieb notes the NSS reflects that ideological shift away from establishment Republican foreign policy elites.