Former U.S. President Donald Trump is leveraging his historic victory in both the popular vote and the Electoral College to reshape the identity of the Republican Party and American politics domestically and internationally. This ambition is especially pronounced due to the lack of any clear opposition to his agenda following his successful leadership of the Republicans in securing a majority in both houses of Congress in the elections set for November 5, 2024. Trump stands out as the first U.S. president in around 130 years to return to the White House for a second term after being defeated in his first. The sole historical comparison to this scenario occurred when former Democratic President Grover Cleveland reclaimed the presidency.
This unprecedented political landscape emboldens Trump to implement sweeping changes, from navigating domestic policy challenges to redefining the foundations of Washington’s international relationships and alliances. His approach involves altering the patterns and trajectories of the global environment by brandishing the might of “American power” to achieve political and geostrategic gains.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, “Trumpism” refers to the policies and ideas of President Trump. However, some view “Trumpism” as an explicit effort by the 47th U.S. President to establish a new Republican Party that distances itself from the traditional principles operated by Republicans prior to Trump’s emergence on the political scene. Analyzing Trump’s speeches and executive orders since the onset of his second term reveals that his primary focus is on transforming the intellectual framework and political vision that Republican leaders have relied on throughout history, the most recent being the vision articulated and championed by former President Ronald Reagan, which subsequent Republican leaders adhered to until Trump’s rise to power on January 20, 2017.
Trump is not only seeking to etch his name among the greats of American history; he and his new team are also working to transition the Republican Party from its Reagan-era legacy to the new populist “Trumpist” principles intended to solidify Trump’s ideas as the sole foundation for Republican ideology and U.S. politics for years and decades to come. Notably, Trump’s choice of Vice President James David Vance and his administration signals the dawn of an era potentially lasting decades, characterized by “Trumpism.” There are ten “Trumpist” principles currently being pursued by the sitting president, which are outlined as follows:
- A New Political Doctrine: Many agree that Trump has been striving to establish a “new doctrine” in American politics, particularly centered around the notion of “America First,” since his initial electoral victory in November 2016. This doctrine and its accompanying slogan serve as a framework for understanding all of Trump’s decisions, positions, and initiatives, both domestically and abroad. Although currently driven more by personal preferences and sentiments rather than a strict political model, Trump aims to adopt a firmly rooted political doctrine akin to “Reagan Doctrine,” “Monroe Doctrine,” and “Truman Doctrine.”
Analysis of Trump’s decisions reveals that he takes elements from various doctrines while infusing them with a “populist frame.” For instance, Reagan was the first to advocate for a “Iron Dome” around American territories, and Trump has revived this notion. His quest to reclaim the Panama Canal and exert control over Canada aligns with the “Monroe Doctrine,” which called for American dominance over the Americas and the western hemisphere. Presently, the slogan “Make America Great Again” has become iconic for “Trumpism,” echoing sentiments from those opposed to U.S. involvement in World War II in 1940 and reflecting Trump’s own perspectives on foreign conflicts he deems “foolish.” The earliest seeds of “Trumpism” were sown in a 2017 White House document asserting that “America will put its citizens and values first, as all nations ought to do.”
- A New Concept of Protection: Since the end of World War II, the prevailing notion has been protecting America from external threats, evidenced by over 850 U.S. military bases overseas and numerous military alliances like NATO, AUKUS, Five Eyes, and Quad, alongside numerous bilateral security agreements aimed at safeguarding American territory and populace. However, Trump introduces a new concept of protection that emphasizes self-defense and immediacy through the establishment of an “Iron Dome” around all U.S. soil, enhancing the capabilities of the U.S. military to support his vision of “peace through strength,” and modernizing nuclear arsenals to create a significant gap between U.S. military capabilities and any other military forces globally. Trump is currently advancing these three initiatives while also bolstering border security with Mexico and Canada and combating drug cartels in Latin America that traffic drugs into the United States.
- Inheriting “Trumpism”: Trump aspires to immortalize himself among the greats of American history, not only through strategic decision-making during his second term but also by deepening and disseminating his ideas among upcoming generations of Republicans and independents. This drive is evident in his choice of David Vance as Vice President, who wholeheartedly embraces Trump’s ideas. Given Vance’s youth and significant acceptance among Republicans, the pro-Trump movement has begun ideologically branding Trump’s thoughts to ensure their entrenchment in the minds of future American generations.
- Blurring the Lines Between Three Streams: The results of the recent American elections in November showcased Trump’s ability to garner support and acceptance among the three main streams within the Republican Party, granting him considerable flexibility to maneuver between them. These streams include the engagement-oriented faction advocating for increased military presence abroad, the isolationist faction calling for less military interaction in international issues, and the centrist faction oscillating between domination and isolation. Trump believes he has successfully erased differentiation among these factions, granting him an exceptional capacity to solidify his concepts and vision for both domestic and foreign policy across various American societal segments.
- Dismantling the Deep State: Trump perceives the American deep state as a potential obstacle to his political and economic ambitions and has initiated a series of measures aimed at dismantling it. This includes appointing his friend and ally Elon Musk as head of the U.S. government efficiency and waste department, hiring thousands of new employees aligned with Trump’s ideas, and dismissing any high-ranking official deemed disloyal. Consequently, Trump has removed senior advisers who failed to pass the “loyalty test,” ensuring loyalty to his philosophy and political doctrine. Currently, he is working to appoint political staff affiliated with the Republican Party while simultaneously restructuring the government to streamline his decision-making process and granting him greater freedom and efficiency to circumvent bureaucratic hurdles, including the removal of protections for thousands of civil servants, akin to what was done with his opponents like former National Security Adviser John Bolton, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and former White House Chief Medical Adviser Anthony Fauci. There are Republican beliefs that the majority of federal employees lean Democratic, as evidenced by Washington D.C., home to the highest number of federal employees, having a significant Democratic majority. Consequently, Musk aims to reduce the federal workforce, while Trump plans to restructure the FBI and other government agencies that sided with Joe Biden against Trump during the 2020 election dispute.
- Establishing the New Right: Trump cannot be pigeonholed as belonging to the far-right nor can he be accurately described as centrist. A deeper examination of Trump’s rhetoric and actions underscores that he does not align with the neoconservatives led by George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld. Moreover, while Trump admires Abraham Lincoln, his ideas do not wholly mirror those of traditional conservatives; thus, Trump’s initiatives can be perceived as laying the foundations for a new right.
- Rejection of Globalism and Fight against Regionalism: “Trumpism” opposes globalization, which Trump has branded a disaster for the United States that has only benefited its adversaries. Thus, on his first day in office on January 20, 2017, Trump withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement previously signed by former President Barack Obama. During the early days of his second term, Trump also withdrew from the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Agreement. Additionally, between 2017 and 2019, he exited the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which aimed to eliminate short and intermediate-range missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Presently, Trump is working to eliminate what he terms “free privileges” and rectify imbalances in relationships with other countries. He insists that NATO member states spend 5% of their GDP on defense, up from the previous 2%, while also rejecting multilateral cooperation in favor of bilateral agreements where he can directly negotiate terms.
Moreover, “Trumpism” does not endorse regionalism or regional cooperation. In this context, despite the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the U.S. and its neighbors Canada and Mexico expiring in 2036, Trump’s imposition of new tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico practically endangers the largest regional trade agreement in the world, even though Trump himself secured favorable terms for Washington when the agreement was renewed in 2018 under the New NAFTA.
- Prioritizing Economics over War: Despite approximately 220,000 U.S. troops currently stationed outside American territory, “Trumpism” values avoiding warfare as much as possible to ensure American dominance in the world for decades to come. Trump sees war as contributing to the erosion and decline of nations’ capabilities; thus, his four years in office showed no new wars. He notably engaged in three summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, held a historic summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki in 2018, and reached a $200 billion agreement with China in January 2020 to cease trade wars. Trump has previously criticized the American invasion of Iraq, advocated for withdrawing U.S. troops, and negotiated with the Taliban for the withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan.
- Protecting the Gains of White Americans: The hinge of “Trumpism” revolves around the white male demographic. Despite an increase in support from Latino and Black voters for Trump in the November 2024 elections, he believes that it is the white man—rather than Latinos or Blacks—who will champion and carry “Trumpism” into future generations. This perspective elucidates why Trump is currently spearheading a campaign to deport around 20 million undocumented immigrants, most of whom hail from South American countries. The continued presence of these migrants, coupled with tens of millions more, could jeopardize the white majority in American society, which currently comprises approximately 59% of the U.S. population, compared to 19% Latino, 13.5% Black, and 6% Asian. Trump fears that immigration from Latin America could disrupt demographic compositions; hence, he is committed to ensuring that whites remain the commanding majority.
- The Family as the Backbone of American Life: It is no coincidence that Trump, along with his children and grandchildren, appear prominently at the Republican National Convention, in victory speeches, and during inaugural ceremonies. More significantly, he has appointed family members to high-level positions, such as appointing his son-in-law Jared Kushner as coordinator of Arab-American relations and his other son-in-law Charles Kushner as ambassador to France. Through these actions, Trump seeks to reaffirm the value of family as a safeguard for America’s future. Notably, he has also recognized since the first day of his return to the White House that the American family comprises only a man and a woman and has pledged to exclude LGBTQ individuals from military service and from participating in athletic competitions.
