Recently we’ve gotten a glimpse of Trump’s foreign policy and his view of governance. The United States has withdrawn joint exercises with South Korea — citing his relationship with Kim Jong Un, South Korea’s reluctance to support the U.S. in the Iran war, and even a trade quarrel with Canada, where he has suggested that Canada enjoys the benefits of the United States without being a state.
My first reaction, examining Trump’s approach, is that he seems to view the United States as the world’s guarantor of safety — a guarantor that is perpetually under‑appreciated. South Korea should pay more or be more grateful. Canada should stop “free‑riding.” Allies are judged less by shared interests than by whether their leaders strike him as strong or flattering.
But in Canada and South Korea, the government must provide more than protection from leaders Trump admires. They must provide healthcare. A framework for retirement. A functioning social safety net. They would not allow masked government agents to demand papers from citizens on the street. That is America now. Protection from countries Trump considers allies is not the point. Citizens ask instead what their own government is providing.
Which brings us to the deeper problem.
The United States is losing sight of the point of governance. National government is not merely for protection, nor for the forceful removal of undocumented people, nor for the theatrical policing of allies who fail to praise us loudly enough. America has forgotten the basic purpose of national government: to build the conditions under which its citizens can live stable, dignified, productive lives.
Foreign policy is part of that. But it is not the whole of it.
And gratitude from allies is not a substitute for competence at home.