Mel Gurtov - America in Retreat: Foreign Policy under Donald Trump

Mel Gurtov

Portland State University

ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD

Lanham Boulder New York London

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To a Free Press: to its principles and practices,
and to the independent journalists who fight to preserve them against
the real enemies of the people.

And to Brynn Appel and Gavin Joseph Gabor,
my wonderful grandchildren.

Friends laughed when I told them I was writing a book about Donald Trumps foreign policy. Does he have a foreign policy, they asked with a smile? A good question, actually, because explaining Trumps foreign policy entails explaining the complexities of Donald Trump himself, and thats no easy task. Still, I take Trumps foray into foreign policy seriously, if for no other reason than that his policies and, equally, his behavior have done serious damage to US diplomacy, the institutions of government, relations with key partners, and the global economy and environment. Trumps tenure, which may not end in January 2021, should serve as a lasting lesson for what future presidents should and should not say or do.

My book is a highly critical account of Trump the person and Trump the chief executive and commander in chief. I confess to sometimes having a hard time being objective about a man who harbors such deep prejudices and extraordinary ignorance about the worldnot to mention an unwillingness to temper either by learning from and about others. I do believe, however, that my assessments are well supported and reasonably objectiveand that when the documentary record of Trumps tenure is finally released, my conclusions and the assessments of other critics will be upheld and may even prove to be too mild.

I relied heavily for my research on the outstanding journalism of the New York Times, Washington Post, The Guardian, CNN, and other mediathe very sources Trump condemned as fake news and the reason for dedicating this book to a free press. Rarely did their reporting of Trump and his administrations activities prove faulty, a sign that investigative journalism is alive and well. I also cited those writers whose interviews of the principals in the administration, or whose service in it, proved reliable and insightful.

I am grateful to a number of friends who helped bring this work to fruition: Walter Clemens, Glen Jackson, Larry Kirsch, Milton Leitenberg, Michael Marien, and Fred Sierles. I owe special thanks to Mark Selden for appreciating the value of the book, offering helpful suggestions, and shepherding it to a favorable decision.

Mel Gurtov, Deadwood, Oregon, February 2020

Approaching his third year in office, Donald Trump was reported to be isolated and angry, at war with his staff and critics, under multiple investigations, yet convinced he was doing everything right and supposedly puzzled over the lack of appreciation. His behavior was mercilessly derided in the mainstream mediapathological liar, narcissist, paranoid, irrational, man-childas was his management of the White House: free-for-all, undisciplined, lacking guardrails. The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, after the 2018 midterm elections, was all about impeachment, galvanized by a whistleblowers account of the presidents attempt to gain Ukraines help in Trumps reelection campaign. A constitutional crisis loomed as the White House refused to comply with subpoenas and demands for documents.

Meantime, the United States of America was adrift, its reputation tarnished and its international leadership in doubtin short, a nation in retreat. Mainstream publications lumped the authoritarian US president with leaders in China, Russia, Egypt, and Saudi Arabiapeople Trump admired and called friends. Trump escaped impeachment in a mock trial in the Senate that rejected calling witnesses or documents, but his claims of acquittal rang hollow. Not since the Watergate scandal had the country experienced a more troubled time, or a greater threat to democracy.

That the United States faced such a dire situation should not have come as a surprise. Donald Trump made no secret of his America first views during the 2016 presidential campaign. Liberals and many conservatives responded caustically, calling him unfit for office and questioning his foreign policy positions and credentials. No critique was more powerful, or prophetic, than an open letter signed by fifty former senior foreign policy officials in Republican administrations, from Richard M. Nixons to George W. Bushs. Here is an excerpt:

From a foreign policy perspective, Donald Trump is not qualified to be President and Commander-in-Chief. Indeed, we are convinced that he would be a dangerous President and would put at risk our countrys national security and well-being.

Most fundamentally, Mr. Trump lacks the character, values, and experience to be President. He weakens U.S. moral authority as the leader of the free world. He appears to lack basic knowledge about and belief in the U.S. Constitution, U.S. laws, and U.S. institutions, including religious tolerance, freedom of the press, and an independent judiciary.

In addition, Mr. Trump has demonstrated repeatedly that he has little understanding of Americas vital national interests, its complex diplomatic challenges, its indispensable alliances, and the democratic values on which U.S. foreign policy must be based. At the same time, he persistently compliments our adversaries and threatens our allies and friends.