The Self-Defeating Sovereignty Obsession

In an op-ed recently published in RealClearWorld, I examine the misconception behind President Donald J. Trump’s obsession with American sovereignty.

Donald Trump’s “America First” policy is an international extension of his approach to business and personal relationships. It is narcissistic, narrow-minded, and transactional, driven by one overriding impulse: “What’s in it for me?” At the core of this worldview is a determination to defend American sovereignty against any commitments that might dilute U.S. independence or freedom of action. Absent is any conception of an international community, much less any aspiration to lead it. The president’s foreign policy abdicates America’s historical role. In an era of global challenges, it is doomed to failure.

Read the full op-ed here.