Trump would place loyalists in Pentagon, State Department to reshape US foreign policy: Report

With the United States presidential elections less than a year away, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump is once again making headlines as he plans to fundamentally alter America’s relationship with the rest of the world, includingsending armed forces into Mexico and imposing tariffs on allies and foes alike.

Trump, who earlier this month said that he won’t be a dictator “except on day one,” might install loyalists, whose primary allegiance would be to him, in key positions in the Pentagon, State Department and CIA, that is if he wins a second term, reported Reuters citing nearly 20 current and former aides and diplomats.

If realised, the Republican frontrunner would reportedly have much more freedom than his first presidency to enact isolationist policies and whims. Not to mention, the sweeping changes in the US’ stance on a number of issues, including the Russia-Ukraine war, and trade with China.

What does Trump plan on doing?

Amid his ongoing campaign trail for the upcoming elections, Trump has proposed a series of changes to America’s foreign policies, including rethinking the US-led military alliance NATO’s “purpose” and “mission”. He had also cut funding to NATO during his presidency,saying that America was paying more than its fair share.

The Republican frontrunner said that under his presidency he would ask Europe to reimburse the US for “almost $200 billion” worth of munitions sent to Ukraine. So far, the US Congress has approved $113 billion in aid to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s invasion.

He has also repeatedly claimed that if he were the president he would have the conflict resolved in 24 hours, without proposing any tangible solutions.

Trump recently also renewed his frequent threats to implement major new tariffs or trade restrictions on China and some European allies. He recently proposed the imposition of the trade act which would ramp up retaliatory tariffs on countries.

During an interview, in August, he suggested a 10 per cent universal tariff which would effectively disrupt international markets. Trump has also called for an end to China’s inclusion in America’s most favoured nation list which typically lowers trade barriers between nations.

If he returns to power, he will waste little time cutting defence aid to Europe and further shrinking economic ties with China, his aides told Reuters.

Trump’s personal vs presidential policies

During his presidency between 2017 and 2021, Trump often complained about his struggle to impose his impulsive and erratic vision on the US national security establishment and repeatedly voiced his frustration against top officials who would delay or talk him out of some of his schemes.

In his memoir, Former Defence Secretary Mark Esper said that he had to twice raise objections to the former president’s suggestion of missile strikes on drug cartels in Mexico.

Recently, the Republican frontrunner has also said that he would designate drug cartels operating in Mexico as foreign terrorist organisations and ask the Pentagon to “make appropriate use of special forces” to attack cartel leadership and infrastructure, a plan which is unlikely to be approved by the Mexican government.

“President Trump came to realize that personnel is policy,” said Robert O’Brien, Trump’s fourth and final national security adviser, adding that towards the end of his presidency, “there were a lot of people that were interested in implementing their own policies, not the president’s policies.”

If he wins a second term, having more loyalists in top offices would allow Trump to advance his foreign policy priorities faster and more efficiently, reported Reuters citing the current and former aides.

(With inputs from agencies)