What America First Means

Greenland and the Panama Canal for the U.S.? Trump’s understanding of foreign policy hasn’t changed since his first term. Hard times may be in store for NATO — and for Germany.

In Germany, too, we will have to get used to Donald Trump’s unconventional ideas, the ones for which it’s not always clear whether they’re intended to entertain the public or to represent serious policy. The experience of his first term suggests that a minority of his headline-grabbing statements will become reality.

In any case, he already dreamed back then of acquiring Greenland, but the strategically interesting Arctic island is still part of Denmark today. The Panama Canal, which he wants back, also won’t be voluntarily relinquished by the government there. A global power like the U.S. can exert immense pressure, but among Trump’s contradictions is that he doesn’t want to call upon the greatest one: the military.

Narrowly Defined Special-Interest Politics

His appearance in Phoenix, though, is a reminder of what “American First” means for foreign policy: narrowly defined special-interest politics that have little to do with the “rules-based” world order that is pursued as the ideal in Germany. Particularly in Ukraine, that could lead to a result that is far removed from the goals that have long shaped the discourse in Germany.

And that is not close to all of it: There are reports that Trump wants to increase NATO’s defense spending target to 5%. We’ll see what the German parties can think of to say about that in the election campaign.