Trump seems to have a fairly hawkish stance on foreign policy, although he has not explicitly detailed what his positions would be as president. In the past, he has heavily criticized Obama’s foreign policy, and it looks like much of what he means by his slogan, “Make America Great Again,” is to increase the US’s involvement in world affairs.
Trump has advocated taking a harsher stance against ISIS, but has so far declined to specify what exactly he would do as commander in chief. In an interview on Fox News this May, Trump rationalized his secrecy, citing a desire for surprise. “If I run, and if I win, I don’t want the enemy to know what I’m doing,” he stated. All he would reveal is that his plan, whatever it is, will defeat ISIS “quickly and effectively,” and that it’s “foolproof.”
More recently, Trump has elaborated slightly on his plan by stating that should he become president, he would bomb Iraqi oil fields that are in the hands of ISIS. However, according two military analysts for CNN, most of the ISIS-controlled oil fields are in Syria, not Iraq. The analysts warned that bombing Iraq would only serve to delay the country’s recovery.
In the case of Iraq itself, however, Trump has supported a less aggressive approach. In an interview on Fox & Friends, he said that knowing what we know now, he would not have approved of the invasion of Iraq in 2003. “We shouldn’t have been there, and once we were there, we probably should have stayed,” Trump said.
In the case of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, Trump has criticized Obama for his weak stance against Russian President Vladimir Putin. During an appearanceon the Today show, Trump called for heavy sanctions against Russia in order to “show some strength.” Trump’s political idol might be Putin, whom he believes he will have a “great relationship” with. “You can get along with those people, and get along with them well,” he said of the Russian government.
