Early Directions in Trump 2.0 Foreign Policy: "Talking About Politics" Discussion Series

February 11th, 2025

Tariffs, immigration, foreign aid, NATO, Ukraine, Gaza, Greenland, Panama Canal, international agreements…the new Trump administration has been putting out many ideas as part of its American First foreign policy agenda. It’s unclear how many will become new policies, but it is important to be aware of what’s under discussion and what broader ideas may link together the various policy topics.

In the February 10, 2025 discussion in our “Talking About Politics” series, political science professor John Dietrich led a discussion to help us understand these issues and help us make sense of what’s happening, what may happen, and why.

Recording link 

RESOURCES

Ongoing Conflicts: Gaza, Ukraine

GAZA

Trump says the U.S. will 'take over' Gaza and relocate its people. What does it mean?- NPR

Egypt lobbies against Trump plan to empty Gaza of Palestinians as Israel prepares for it- AP News

Trump says ceasefire deal should be canceled if Hamas doesn’t release all hostages by Saturday- AP News

UKRAINE

How Much U.S. Aid Is Going to Ukraine?- Council on Foreign Relations

Economic: Tariffs & Immigration

Tariffs on Trading Partners: Can the President Actually Do That?- Council on Foreign Relations

What are Tariffs?- Council on Foreign Relations

Territorial: Panama, Greenland, and Canada

What's Behind Trump's Colonial Dreams?- Vox

Is Trump's rhetoric on Greenland, Canada and Panama Canal a 'Madman Strategy'?- NPR

Transition 2025: Donald Trump Sets His Sights on Canada, Greenland, and the Panama Canal- Council on Foreign Relations

GREENLAND

A Greenland Plot More Cynical Than Fiction- The Atlantic

PANAMA CANAL

Who Controls the Panama Canal?- Council on Foreign Relations

Why Is the Panama Canal So Important to Donald Trump?- US News & World Report

CANADA

Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Imposes Tariffs on Imports from Canada, Mexico and China- Whitehouse.gov

Executive Orders

Trump's Executive Orders: What to Expect- Council on Foreign Relations

2025 Donald J. Trump Executive Orders- Federal Register

Presidential Actions- Whitehouse.gov

International Impacts of Funding

Visualizing the International Reach of U.S. Funding Cut by Trump- Washington Post

What Every American Should Know About US Foreign Aid- Brookings Institute

USAID

What is USAID and Why Has it Become a Target for Trump and Musk?- Reuters

PL 480 Food for Peace Act of 1954- US Department of State

Gutting USAID Threatens Billions of Dollars for US Farms, Businesses- Washington Post

MARSHALL PLAN

Applying the Lessons of the Marshall Plan to US Global Leadership Today- Brookings Institute

The Marshall Plan- National Museum of American Diplomacy

DEFENSE SPENDING

Budget: Defense and National Security- Congressional Budget Office

Defense Spending- Treasury.gov

Focusing on Quality Over Quantity in the US Military Budget- Brookings Institute

President Trump

MEDIA STRATEGY

Trump Negotiation Style- Harvard Program on Negotiation

Flooding the Zone: Trump's Media Strategy- WUSA9

Trump’s ‘Flood the Zone’ Strategy Leaves Opponents Gasping in Outrage- New York Times

DONALD TRUMP & ELON MUSK

Trump and Musk's Dismantling of Government is Shaking the Foundations of Democracy- Associated Press

DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY "DOGE"

Executive Order: Establishing and Implementing the President's "Department of Government Efficiency"- Whitehouse.gov

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Executive Order: Early Implementation- Congressional Research Service

CONGRESS'S ROLE

The Senate Gives Trump His Cabinet- And Their Compliance- Politico

Power of the Purse- US House of Representatives

ProPublica’s Coverage of Donald Trump’s Appointments — and How They Could Reshape Federal Agencies- ProPublica

Recent Blog Posts

Ask a Librarian!