Does Trump Have a Strategy? A Conversation With A. Wess Mitchell

American foreign policy requires a "Grand Strategy of Consolidation" to address structural overstretch and restore national strength amidst intensifying great power competition. Rather than pursuing maximalist objectives like regime change, the United States must prioritize internal reindustrialization, fiscal discipline, and defense industrial base reform. This approach treats current geopolitical tensions—including conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East—as distractions that must be managed through limited, scoped engagement to preserve resources for long-term competition with China. Alliances require a fundamental renegotiation to ensure reciprocity and burden-sharing, shifting away from the non-reciprocal post-Cold War model. Ultimately, this strategy seeks to buy time to rebuild domestic foundations, ensuring the United States maintains a superior long-term strategic position while avoiding the pitfalls of either total retrenchment or unsustainable global overextension.