President Trump’s decision-making style has impeded planning and decision-making. Unlike his predecessors, he does not take long briefings or read detailed briefing materials. And he has announced major decisions without adequate consultation with allies or, at times, even his own advisors. Russia. Trump has failed to stand up to Russia, and questions still linger about the help he received from Moscow during his first campaign. Those questions were magnified by the Mueller report, and by the report of the Republican-controlled Senate Intelligence Committee. Russia has kept its strong presence in eastern Ukraine, shows no sign of giving up its annexation of Crimea, and continues its assertive policies in Syria. Moscow’s violation of human rights is only rivaled by Beijing’s. Russia continues its military build-up, as well as its interference in U.S. elections. China. Trump pushed a trade deal through with bluster and tariffs. He has attempted to thwart aggressive Chinese tactics in the South China Sea region, but Beijing holds a strong home-court advantage in that area. Trump gave the Chinese leader his concurrence on their massive crackdown on the Uighurs, thousands of whom have been forced into re-education camps. It is hard to believe that a U.S. president could have so little regard for human rights. More recently, Trump has attempted to shift blame for the COVID-19 crisis onto China.
Iran. the administration’s strenuous efforts have left Iran economically weaker yet politically stronger in the region, and poised to resume its nuclear program. Under the rubric of “maximum pressure,” the administration unilaterally withdrew from the eight-party Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, restored unilateral sanctions, and tried without success to curb Iranian operations in Syria and Iraq. the administration’s strenuous efforts have left Iran economically weaker yet politically stronger in the region, and poised to resume its nuclear program. Under the rubric of “maximum pressure,” the administration unilaterally withdrew from the eight-party Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, restored unilateral sanctions, and tried without success to curb Iranian operations in Syria and Iraq. North Korea. North Korea has not tested an atomic device or ICBM since 2017, but neither has it shown any willingness to abandon its nuclear program. Even accounting for a high degree of difficulty, it is impossible to give the Trump national security policy good marks. In its policy toward the four major threats, the administration has not achieved notable success or made significant progress. In other issues that fit under the heading of national security, Team Trump failed the COVID-19 crisis test and has also not made noticeable progress on climate change, a problem that it barely recognizes as important.
