President Trump on Monday will introduce his strategy of keeping the US in a speech in Washington, describing his approach to national security as one of “principled realism,” in which the US is competing for both its prosperity and security. In that context, according to Trump, the administration must encourage a military buildup while continuing to impose restrictions on immigration.
Taking a page out of President Ronald Reagan’s playbook, Monday’s speech, scheduled to start at 2 PM ET, ushers in the release of Trump’s first broad policy document – “national security strategy,” in which the president, who ran on his familiar platform of “America First,” is prepared to sharply alter US relations with the rest of the world.
According to Fox News, the document will point to Iran and to “radical jihadist terrorist organizations” as the “prime irritant preventing peace and prosperity in the region.”
“For generations the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has been understood as the prime irritant preventing peace and prosperity in the region,” the strategy document reads, noting that “today, the threats from radical jihadist terrorist organizations and the threat from Iran are creating the realization that Israel is not the cause of the region’s problems. States have increasingly found common interests with Israel in confronting common threats.”
“Some of our partners are working together to reject radical ideologies and key leaders are calling for a rejection of Islamist extremism and violence,” the document reads. “Encouraging political stability and sustainable prosperity would contribute to dampening the conditions that fuel sectarian grievances.”
Trump will discuss threats from “rogue regimes,” such as North Korea, and “revisionist powers,” like Russia and China, whose purpose is to alter the global status quo. With that in mind, Trump will renew his call for NATO member states to spend more on defense.
Senior officials have revealed that the document refers to China as a “strategic competitor,” instead of “economic aggressor” – the way Trump described China during the presidential campaign.