Elements of Trumpism (3)

In a few respects, mostly dealing with foreign policy, Trump deviated dramatically from GOP orthodoxy. These included:

1. A strong aversion to military interventions, particularly in the Middle East;
2. An almost complete lack of interest in human rights issues, except cynically for leverage in negotiations;
3. A preference for dealing with dictators over elected leaders;
4. A willingness to openly discuss using nuclear weapons;
5. A willingness to meet with foreign leaders without making the customary preparations;
6. An unjustified phobia about trade deficits; and
7. The enthusiastic and arbitrary use of tariffs, even against close allies.

How much of this will survive him? Probably not much. The most interesting question involves #3. If the GOP continues to lean towards authoritarianism at home, how can that not impact their views on foreign policy? How can you plausibly extoll the virtues of liberal democracy abroad as you openly undermine it at home? As the man on golf cart likes to say, we’ll see.