Trump’s seismic foreign policy change: from the political bureau

Welcome to the online version of Political officeAn evening newsletter that brings you the latest report and analysis of the NBC News Policy team from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign campaign.

In today’s publishing, one of our resident experts in world affairs, Dan de Luce, breaks down the policy of President Donald Trump’s policy. In addition, Sahil Kapur provides a verification of reality on how Trump and Doge’s plans would affect the deficit.

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– Adam Wollner

During a week, Trump turned upset decades of American foreign policy

Dan de Luce analysis

Before and after its inauguration, President Donald Trump seemed to take A more critical line on Russia, warning in Moscow that he would face new sanctions if she had not participated in peace talks.

In an article on social networks last month, Trump wrote: “We can do it the easy way, or the hard way … It is time to” conclude an agreement “.”

But everything changed last week.

After a telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump overthrew the scenario. The United States and Russia enter negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, said Trump, without mentioning any role for the Ukrainian government. Its defense secretary flew to Europe and said that NATO members for Ukraine were out of the table and that it was not realistic to expect kyiv to look at the territory that Russia had seized.

Tuesday evening, Trump said UkraineWho was invaded by Russia three years ago, “should never have started” war. This spare Continuation WednesdayUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accusing Trump of living in a Russian “disinformation bubble” and Trump calling Zelenskyy a “dictator”.

With his words of conciliation towards Putin and his desire to embark on direct talks, Trump has actually invited Russia since the cold after three years of diplomatic and economic isolation. A Photo of Saudi Arabia Showing Trump’s deputies, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, sitting on the other side of the Table of senior Russian officials, seemed to capture seismic change.

In one week, Trump has turned upset decades of American foreign policy with Russia and Europe. And he raised serious questions in the minds of each American ally – not only in Europe but in the world.

A coherent theme of foreign policy throughout Trump’s public life, dating back to the 1980s, is his conviction that the allies tear the Americans. He has repeatedly presented the value of the alliances dating back to the end of the Second World War, arguing that the United States is enjoyed, either because of the cost of the American military presence, or of allegedly unbalanced trade relations.

Historians and analysts claim that the post-war period has fueled an increase in life levels in the world, has strengthened and spread the democratic domination of Prague to Tokyo, and helped avoid a war between the great powers . But Trump and his supporters believe that the United States has been too deferential towards his allies.

Trump tests the proposal that America can survive and prosper without cultivating his friends. “Is America first mean” America alone “?

How Europe reacts: European leaders were amazed by Trump’s rapid inversion of American policy towards Russia As they fight to unite around A shared response.

How the Republicans react: In Washington, a handful of GOP senators remotely sought According to Trump’s comments, labeling Zelenskyy a “dictator” while avoiding criticizing the president directly.

More: How an investment banker became Putin’s man in the room for high -level American discussionsby Keir Simmons and Natasha Lebedeva

That knowing others of the Trump presidency today

• Asset has offered its most emphatic approval to date The GOP strategy of the Chamber to adopt a bill to advance its legislative program. But the Senate Republicans said they would always advance with a vote on their own budgetary resolution.
• The former representative Lori Chavez-Deremer, Trump candidate to the secretary of labor who aroused a certain skepticism of the Republican senators, In front of the questions On his positions to unions and laws on labor at his confirmation hearing.
• Trump administration Federal approval Nixée New York “congestion prices” tolls, which had been established last month to raise funds for the region’s public transport system.
• The Ministry of Justice offered a New contradictory explanation For why he seeks to abandon the accusations of corruption against the mayor of New York, Eric Adams, with a senior official arguing that the charges against the mayor are not well supported in law.
• A federal judge ordered the spy agencies Temporarily tear off the dismissal of 11 intelligence agents On their assignments related to diversity, actions, inclusion and access programs.
• Defense secretary Pete Hegseth is considering A list of military generals and flag officers this week.

The targeted cuts of Doge are only a phase of the federal budget – and the Trump agenda could add billions of billions to the deficit

By Sahil Kapur

President Donald Trump and his billionaire Elon Musk advisor sent shock waves by the federal government attempting to take a war ax to certain agencies in the name of the reduction of the federal deficit.

But the reality is much more complex.

Budget experts claim that even if Trump succeeds in reducing the expenses that the target government ministry, its policies would always add to the deficit if they materialize.

Calls for new tax reductions and expenses: Trump called for a series of high tax reductions which would add at least 5 billions of dollars to the 10 -year deficit compared to red ink if no modification is made to the current federal law, according to the non -partisan Committee for a responsible federal budget. In addition, the Republican leaders of the congress are pressure for more military and border security expenses.

Foreign help: Trump has focused strongly on reducing foreign aid, which represented 1.2% of the overall budget, even after adopting Ukraine emergency aid.

Department of Education: Trump also called to dissolve the Department of Education, which represents around 3% of federal expenses, According to the Treasury Department.

Federal work: While Trump and Musk have sought to reduce the government’s workforce, federal workers represent 6% of the budget, according to a Congressal Budget Office report in the 2022 fiscal year.

Law programs: Regarding social security and health insurance, Last year, Trump called for wrestling “Theft and mismanagement of rights”, while promising not to compromise the advantages. But the president and musk have not yet shown evidence of fraud that would fold the cost curve.