Ross Douthat doesn’t think that Trump has any kind of world view, not even “America First;” instead, to the extent that there is a Trump Doctrine, it is one that revolves purely around making random deals. Is he right?
Not exactly. It is true that making deals is a big part of Trump’s mindset, but so is mercantilism and the imperialism that springs from it. The other thing to remember here is that dealmaking means different things to Trump depending on the identity of the person on the other side. If it is an autocrat that he respects, he will offer terms that, in his eyes, are mutually beneficial; if not, the point of the negotiations will be to establish his dominance over the other party.