Donald Trump’s foreign policy surprises every day with its twists, turns, and sometimes shocking actions. Dominique Simonnet, a political analyst and specialist in the United States, discusses this particularly aggressive policy, embodied by the 47th President of the United States.
The Midi Libre: Since the beginning of the year, Donald Trump has targeted Venezuela, Greenland, and Iran… Is his foreign policy more interventionist than that of his predecessors?
Dominique Simonnet*: It’s rather a form of isolationism, in the great American tradition of the Monroe Doctrine. This does not mean that the United States stay at home without moving, but that they define their areas of interest themselves. Trump has also claimed this doctrine: he cites it as a justification for American legitimacy on his continent. You will tell me that they also intervene elsewhere. I would rather qualify this as “imperial isolationism.” Trump has an imperial vision of the world: the powerful share the map, the zones of influence, and negotiate among themselves.
Trump does not hesitate to threaten his allies… Why this strategy of pressure on his historical partners?
It is his method, inherited from his career in real estate. Trump is above all a developer: he negotiates, bluffs, sets the bar very high, then seeks a compromise. Threat is for him a negotiation tool. He says, “If you don’t do that, I’ll increase tariffs.” It is a brutal and simplistic way of doing geopolitics. He hates multilateral alliances, which he considers binding. He prefers the bilateral: to sit down with another leader, like Vladimir Putin, and negotiate directly.
Beyond his slogan “Make America Great Again,” are there other reasons for his aggressiveness on the international stage?
Trump is aggressive by temperament. He likes to be in control. There is an obvious pleasure in power for him. Just listen to his speeches: he presents himself as the best president, at the head of the best army in the history of humanity. He is also someone who constantly seeks to enrich himself, even as president. Conflicts of interest are numerous in the White House, but that does not bother him. He has made it a system.
Do Americans support their president?
Less and less, especially regarding his foreign adventures. Public opinion is mostly opposed to strikes in Iran, but it remains very divided: about 80% of Republicans support Trump, while 80% of Democrats oppose him. Overall, Americans fear the economic and human consequences of war. The return of dead soldiers has a very strong psychological impact. They do not want to send their young people to fight abroad.
Trump had campaigned on stopping wars, especially in the Middle East. Can this discrepancy have consequences on the midterm elections?
Yes, obviously. The bet is risky for him. Midterm elections are always delicate for the party in power, especially in the House of Representatives. The war in Iran does not favor him, unless he can claim a victory. For him, a victory does not necessarily mean a regime change, but simply being able to say, “I won.” He could very well, at some point, declare, “The Iranians have promised to stop their military nuclear program, so I have won.” This would be possible, even if it would put Israelis and Iranians in a disastrous situation.
Does this aggressive policy have consequences on the credibility of the United States?
The image of the United States has been significantly tarnished. Trump has weakened the checks and balances. Congress still follows him, but the Supreme Court recently disapproved of him on tariffs. Trump has an almost autocratic vision of America. All of this, in addition to his economic decisions and hesitations on issues like Ukraine or the Middle East, gives a bad image of the country. America is no longer perceived as the beacon of democracy.
Is Trump seeking to enrich himself through war?
This is part of the conflicts of interest I mentioned. Trump does just that: “America First,” but also “Trump First.” At every opportunity for profit, the Trump clan benefits. There are also suspicions of insider trading, as certain presidential decisions affect the stock market, and the Trump clan profits from it. He puts the power of America at his service.
*Dominique Simonnet is a political analyst, specialist in the United States, former journalist at l’Express. He analyzes the politics of the United States and the history of American democracy. In 2025, he published “Requiem for a Free World” with Nicole Bacharan, published by Observatoire editions.
