April 12, 2017
H.R. McMaster and James Mattis are steering the Trump administration away from “America First.”
President Donald Trump swept into office with no government experience, few policy positions, and a team of iconoclastic outsiders who echoed his desire to put America first in all things. Since taking office, Trump’s team has been racked by scandal and intrigue, from the persistent concerns over Russia ties to infighting between his strategist Steve Bannon and son-in-law Jared Kushner. Amidst this chaos, it’s been difficult to discern any particular policy preferences or agenda. Foreign policy, in particular, has suffered from the absence of the president’s personal leadership.
Optimistic observers like Wall Street Journal columnist Gerald Seib have found hope in the ascendance of National Security Adviser (and Army Lt. Gen.) H.R. McMaster, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and Defense Secretary James Mattis. Others have taken comfort in the more mature structure and process established by McMaster at the National Security Council. These moves matter, and will likely help reduce the drama within the White House around national security matters. But the ascendance of the likes of McMaster and Mattis may also create a more hawkish administration, one driven by establishment aides who favor the use of force and for whom “America First” means something completely different than it does to Bannon or his minions.
Read the full article at Slate.
More from CNAS
-
Reports
Defense / Indo-Pacific Security
U.S.-Japan-Philippines Trilateral CooperationExecutive Summary Growing challenges from the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC’s) massive military modernization, rapid technological advancement, and coercive military activ...
By Lisa Curtis & Ryan Claffey
-
How the War on Iran Threatens the Global Economy
Commentary
This article was originally published in TIME. Around two weeks into the American and Israeli war with Iran, the economic, political, and military costs of the conflict for th...
By Becca Wasser
-
Congressional Testimony
Defense / Middle East Security
Iran War Could Hinge On Who Runs Low On Munitions FirstIn just days of attacks, the US has used weapons stores that could take years to rebuild. On today’s Big Take podcast, Sarah Holder sits down with global defense editor Gerry ...
By Becca Wasser
-
Commentary
Defense / Middle East Security
Iran’s Cheap, Plentiful Weaponry Puts U.S. Military Under Unprecedented StrainThis article was originally published in Bloomberg. When the first cruise missiles began detonating inside Iran, the strikes had all the hallmarks of previous successful U.S. ...
By Becca Wasser
