Robert Wright's Nonzero The Trump Doctrine (Robert Wright & Nikita Petrov)
Oct 28, 2025
Nikita Petrov, a member of the Non-Zero team and publisher of Psychopolitica, shares his insights on the Trump Doctrine. They discuss Trump's aggressive rhetoric toward drug cartels and the U.S.'s Regime change strategy in Venezuela. The duo explores Trump's tendency to favor force over diplomacy, the potential rise of a more competent authoritarian in his wake, and even debates whether Trump's foreign policy could paradoxically foster global peace. Humor and showmanship also emerge as key factors in Trump's appeal.
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Force As Political Theater
- Trump favors blunt shows of force and often disregards legal formalities when he believes it helps politically.
- Robert Wright notes this makes force attractive to Trump especially when targets cannot effectively fight back.
Venezuela: Drug War Or Regime Change?
- The Venezuela deployment reads less like a fentanyl strategy and more like a regime-change operation with neocon influence.
- Wright highlights Marco Rubio's outsized foreign-policy role and ideological drive behind the move.
Two Candidates For The 'Trump Doctrine'
- A 'Trump doctrine' can be read as either impulsive use of force or pragmatic engagement with all regimes regardless of ideology.
- Wright sees tension between killing-first bravado and the pragmatic, non-ideological businesslike approach.
