Making Sense of MAGA Foreign Policy

Curt Mills on the players and policies of Trump 2.0

President Trump campaigned on promises of peace and putting America first, and heavily criticized past involvement in foreign wars. But one year into his second term, the United States has bombed Iran, kidnapped Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, and threatened NATO allies. So, what exactly are his foreign policy goals? And who is shaping those decisions?

In this episode, the Institute for Global Affairs’ Jonathan Guyer is joined by Curt Mills, the executive director of The American Conservative, to break down the state of foreign policy on the right. They discuss the major players, from Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Vice President JD Vance, emerging rifts in the coalition, and whether Trump is fulfilling his America First promise.

Curt Mills is the executive director of The American Conservative. He specializes in foreign policy and campaign coverage, and previously held positions at The National Interest, US News & World Report, Washington Examiner, and The Spectator. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, POLITICO, UnHerd, Newsweek and The Critic. Curt was previously awarded a Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship.

Find Curt on X: https://x.com/CurtMills

Check out Curt’s work at The American Conservative: https://www.theamericanconservative.com/author/curt-mills/

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