What a second Biden or Trump presidency could mean for American allies and foes
What a second Biden or Trump presidency could mean for American allies and foes
Whether Biden or Trump wins in November will mean very different things for America's place in the world. Jim Watson/Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Whether Biden or Trump wins in November will mean very different things for America's place in the world.
Jim Watson/Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty ImagesWith wars underway in the Middle East and Europe, America's role in international affairs has become a priority for many voters this election.
Some 40% of Americans think foreign policy should be a primary issue in this election, according to an AP news poll, that shows that number has nearly doubled since last year.
And the two major presidential candidates have laid out very different visions for how the U.S. should interact with the rest of the world.
Trump has become known for his heavily used "America first" worldview and has signaled during his re-election campaign that he would make big changes to U.S. relationships with allies and pull back on U.S. commitments of global defense.
Biden, on the other hand, has had to navigate through various high-profile foreign policy trials that all have been controversial and subject to widespread criticism like:
- The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan
- Russia's invasion of Ukraine
- And, of course, the Israel-Gaza war
Biden has signaled his commitment to fight global threats to peace and freedom, and he's vowed he would continue to help Ukraine and Israel. What do voters make of these stances?
You're reading the Consider This newsletter, which unpacks one major news story each day. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to more from the Consider This podcast.
Trump's aspirations
On the campaign trail, Trump has promised to:
- Fundamentally reevaluate the NATO alliance
- Reshape global trade
- And overhaul the Pentagon, State Department and intelligence agencies
But the former president has also largely avoided explaining how he would handle the conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, while also saying he can settle the war in Ukraine "in 24 hours."
NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez reported from a Trump campaign rally in South Carolina, where Trump recalled a European leader asking if the U.S. would defend their country if they were invaded by Russia, even if they had not met NATO's spending targets. Trump told the audience that he said:
"No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay your bills."
Ordoñez reports that the popular sentiment in response to Trump's opposition to NATO is that he is reducing the importance of a 75-year alliance to the U.S. as being an army for hire. And that could strain trust with foreign allies.
Biden's approach
Within months of taking office, President Biden ended America's longest war by pulling U.S. troops out of Afghanistan. And he has received praise from analysts for his swift reactions to both the wars in Europe and the Middle East.
But there is also widespread dissatisfaction with how he has continued to handle those conflicts, from all angles, like the extensive financial commitments, and humanitarian toll in Gaza.
NPR's National Security Correspondent Greg Myre reported that while Biden is calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, and has publicly chastised Israel over Palestinian civilian deaths, he has still supported Israel's efforts to fully defeat Hamas. He has also stepped up U.S. military assistance in Ukraine.
Biden is wary of provoking a Russian escalation, and has repeatedly set limits on the kinds of weapons sent to Ukraine and how they can be used.
But some experts say he hasn't committed strongly enough to ending any of these conflicts. And if he can't resolve them come election time, it could hurt his odds of staying president.
This episode was produced by Erika Ryan, Megan Lim, and Karen Zamora with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Jeanette Woods, Andrew Sussman, and Megan Pratz. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.