Would Kennan Support Trump's Foreign Policy?

George Kennan was a realist who understood the limits of American power. He crafted his containment policy in the famous Long Telegram to keep ends proportionate with means, and therefore prescribed broad elements of national power to be applied to areas of key strategic interests. Kennan emphasized that all tools of foreign policy should be equally utilized to achieve the policy goals of the U.S.—not just military might.

In the present-day context, Trump has made some unconventional and sporadic foreign policy choices, however in many ways his approach falls in line with the strategic thinking of Kennan. In 1949, the debate concerned whether or not the U.S. should pursue a limited strategy that would ease Europe away from its dependence upon the U.S. while addressing Soviet assertiveness in the region, or to remain a strong presence in the region to ensure it would not fall to Soviet influence. In the end, military intervention and sustained influence won over, and this has remained the dominant policy approach until very recently.

While controversial, Trump’s foreign policy has taken an “America first” mentality that seeks to dissuade allies from using the U.S. as a cheaper alternative to forming their own security measures. Trump has stated he is tired of footing the bill abroad and wants the focus to be more domestic. This has meant threatening to decrease NATO funding, in addition to floating potential troop withdrawals from both Afghanistan and Syria. Trump has in many ways utilized fear to encourage allies to become more independent from the U.S.—something that Kennan also supported. Kennan believed the U.S. had a responsibility to help its allies get back on their feet for a period of time because it also benefited the U.S. to have strong allies–but with the condition that support would be withdrawn as quickly as possible.

While it is true that some aspects of Trump’s foreign policy mirror the recommendations of George Kennan, it must also be taken into account that the nature of the international community has changed significantly since the Cold War. The move toward globalization and the rapid spread of technology and information has meant more global involvement across the board—its no longer a tenable stance to be isolationist because it puts the U.S. at a distinct disadvantage. While there are still Kennan-esque arguments to be made concerning the degree to which the U.S. should focus on military intervention, it would be irresponsible to continue Trump’s “America first” foreign policy approach.