The Illusive Search for a Trump Doctrine: Implications for U.S. ForeignPolicy

Abstract

Never has a presidential candidate been so vague or simplistic in his policy pronouncements. Beyond sound bites and slogans it is difficult to forecast the incoming Administration’s programmatic direction. This is especially true in the foreign policy arena. Whether this vacuity is by strategic design or attributable to the President elect’s intellectual vapidity is anyone’s guess. The problem is, moreover, exacerbated by paucity of his written work on defense issues.