Source: Foreign Policy In Focus
by Edward Hunt
“The Trump administration marked the 250th anniversary of US independence with a series of statements in support of American empire. Despite the fact that President Donald Trump campaigned against endless war and the White House issued a National Security Strategy that rejected ‘global domination’, the Trump administration celebrated the nation’s 250th anniversary by glorifying empire as one of the country’s highest achievements. Administration officials praised moments in US history when US leaders embraced empire, such as when Thomas Jefferson and John Adams spoke in favor of an ’empire of liberty’ and Theodore Roosevelt acted to take Panama. At a time when many people in the country were reflecting on the ideals of liberty and equality that Jefferson had emphasized in the Declaration of Independence, the Trump administration glorified the country’s imperial history, creating a rationale for Empire First.” (08/10/26)