Donald Trump Will Never Be a Restrainer

The final verdict is in.

President Donald Trump stops by the National Governors Association meeting in the State Dining Room of the White House February 27, 2017 Washington, DC. September 30, 2025, 7:00 AM Comment icon View Comments ( )

It’s time to put an end to debates about whether U.S. President Donald Trump is some sort of foreign-policy realist or “restrainer.” Admittedly, his mercurial approach to policymaking and his penchant for saying one thing and doing the opposite make his views hard to pin down, especially when he flip-flops from one extreme to another for no apparent reason (see under: Ukraine). Although some of his statements and actions might appear to be compatible with the label, a realist/restrainer he is not.

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