“Trump’s foreign policy? A child wouldn’t have any other approach…”: the alert from Gregory A. Daddis

Since the launch of his campaign against Iran, it is an understatement to say that Donald Trump has increased his verbal virulence. Even if it means alienating even some of his original supporters within his own camp. What if the American president’s outbursts cost him much more than that? This is the thesis of Gregory A. Daddis, professor of history at the American University Texas A&M who, in an article published in the journal Foreign Policyexplains how the acerbic verve of the tycoon president would be “counterproductive”, including with regard to his foreign policy, by making popular support more difficult. A keen observer of American politics, this specialist implicitly describes a frustrated president, blinded by the certainty that after the success of his enterprise in Venezuela, the Iranian file would experience a similar fate. To the point of only being able to rely on words. Interview.

L’Express: You describe Donald Trump’s violent rhetoric as “counterproductive”, particularly with regard to his foreign policy. Why this?

Gregory Daddis : Generally speaking, any nation that goes to war faces a challenge in achieving its objectives: projecting its military power. However, under the leadership of Donald Trump, the United States, which is engaged in a war in the Middle East, is faced with two problems which complicate this ambition. The most obvious: his administration fluctuated too much. Both the American public and Iranian leaders are completely confused about what Trump is seeking to accomplish with his military intervention. The latter having first pointed out the issue of nuclear power, then that of oil, then regime change… In short, Trump is not giving a sufficiently coherent speech for the Americans to understand and therefore truly support his policy.

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