Tracking down the Trump Strategy – An Analysis of the 2017 U.S. National Security Strategy

Abstract

Donald Trump introduced his administration’s new National Security Strategy (NSS), that similarly to the President himself and his foreign policy, evoked reactions on a wide spectrum. Some experts valued it as bringing us one step closer to the realities of world politics, some tended to discover practical elements of the long-awaited ‘Trump strategy’, while others found it mistaken – for various reasons. NSS was followed by the National Defense Strategy (NDS) on January 19, offering a more thorough analysis of the tasks related to sustaining the security of the United States. The current paper offers an overview and analysis of the NSS’ key terms, highlighting important emphases and deficiencies, as well as drawing some conclusions on possible effects and outcomes – also reflecting on the NDS, where necessary.