International security

Trump's Syria Folly Is Bad for Everyone

Less than three months into his presidency, Donald Trump has proved his criticism of America’s political class: that there really is little difference no matter who is elected. President Trump appears to have morphed into Hillary Clinton, or one of the many GOP neocons he battled during the primaries.

Candidate Trump made no pretense of offering a consistent foreign policy. However, he offered a very different vision from that of his opponents. It was “America First.” What that meant was not entirely clear—but at least, he indicated, Washington would improve relations with Russia while avoiding more foolish, unnecessary Middle Eastern wars. These two steps alone would be an extremely positive change.

But now President Trump plans to turn America into a global crusader. He ordered missile strikes in retaliation for the Syrian government’s apparent use of chemical weapons, and administration officials say more military action is possible.