Trump’s Chaotic Foreign Policy
David Klion on restrainers, neo-conservatives, and a flaky president.
Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office of the White House on August 6, 2026, in Washington, DC.
(Alex Wong / Getty Images)There’s an ongoing feud in the Trump administration between restrainers (advocates of a less hawkish foreign policy) and neoconservatives (advocates of militarism on multiple fronts). David Klion wrote about this conflict for the Nation but notes that the ideologies are less important than the fact that Trump is an impulsive bully who often changes his mind. I talked to David about this conflict and the larger incoherence of right-wing foreign policy.
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