The Patriot Post® · The Frontrunner's Foreign Policy

Just last week, Donald Trump mused about his national security team of one, saying of his foreign policy advisers, “My primary consultant is myself.” So it was helpful on two occasions Monday to see him delve deeper into what a Trump administration’s foreign policy would look like.

First, in a prepared speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference, he declared one key aspect: “[My] number one priority is to dismantle the disastrous deal with Iran. I’m a deal-maker, and let me tell you this deal is catastrophic for America, for Israel, and for the whole of the Middle East. Iran is the biggest sponsor of terrorism around the world and we will work to dismantle that reach, believe me. Believe me.” Why should we believe him? “I’ve studied this issue in great detail,” he said. “I would say far greater than anyone.”

Second (though before the speech), Trump met with The Washington Post’s editorial board. Unlike his off-the-record meeting with The New York Times on immigration, this meeting is public record. A few cuts:

“I don’t think we should be nation-building anymore. I think it’s proven not to work. … You know we have $19 trillion in debt. … I watched as we built schools in Iraq and they’d be blown up. And we’d build another one and it would get blown up. And we would rebuild it three times and yet we can’t build a school in Brooklyn. We have no money for education because we can’t build in our own country. At what point do you say, ‘Hey, we have to take care of ourselves’? … NATO was set up when we were a richer country. … NATO is costing us a fortune, and yes, we’re protecting Europe with NATO, but we’re spending a lot of money. … I think NATO as a concept is good, but it’s not as good as it was when it first evolved. … I would knock the hell out of ISIS in some form. I’d rather not do it with our troops.”

Trump certainly represents a growing sentiment in the country after Afghanistan and Iraq. So two points: First, defense spending doesn’t drive that $19 trillion in debt; major entitlements do. Yet Trump says those are off the table in terms of saving money. Second, the attack in Brussels — Belgium is a NATO country — made the timing of Trump’s comments particularly unfortunate. He’s certainly not an orthodox Republican, but that’s also exactly what drives his support.