Under Trump, the primary tool for projecting U.S. power is shifting from economic instruments like tariffs to direct military, intelligence, and cyber capabilities. This "Donroe Doctrine" leverages America's asymmetrical advantages in these areas, especially in its hemisphere, to achieve foreign policy wins without relying on economic coercion.

The US has shifted from anchoring a liberal international order to signaling it stands for nothing beyond its own power and interests. This amoral, transactional stance has alienated democratic allies and eroded the nation's soft power on the world stage.

Effective statecraft integrates diplomacy, military action, and economic pressure as simultaneous, interrelated tools for strategic bargaining. Viewing them as separate, walled-off functions is a common but dangerous misconception that weakens national strategy. All elements of national power must be wielded in concert during competition or conflict.

The true danger of 'predatory hegemony' is not an immediate, catastrophic failure but a gradual degradation of American power, wealth, and influence. This slow fraying of alliances and trust is harder to perceive in the short term but risks leaving the US in a permanently weakened global position over time.

A nation that can no longer get cooperation through seduction and shared values must resort to coercion. Trump's proposed $1.5 trillion military budget is a symptom of this decline, reflecting an empire that must use force or the threat of it to enforce its will on the world stage.

Trump's negotiation strategy, particularly with Iran, involves a massive, visible military presence to create extreme pressure. This 'peace through strength' approach aims to force concessions at the negotiating table by making the alternative—imminent, overwhelming force—undeniably clear and credible.

Despite claims of being 'realist,' Trump's foreign policy is fundamentally anti-realist. By alienating allies, cutting R&D, and acting imprudently, it undermines the very sources of long-term American power—partnerships and technological superiority—that a true realist would seek to preserve.

Trump’s signature strategy of building up military force while simultaneously offering diplomatic solutions creates a coercive environment. While it projects short-term strength, it damages long-term relationships, making allies and adversaries alike view the U.S. as an unpredictable and untrustworthy bully.

Bill Burns argues that abandoning alliances and diplomacy for a narrow, hard-power-focused "self-interest" achieves for adversaries what they could not do themselves, describing it as a self-inflicted wound that undermines American power.