海角大神

In second term, Trump takes boundary-pushing to the world stage

President Donald Trump is taking his boundary-pushing modus operandi on domestic affairs and applying it to the world stage.

Be it Venezuela, Iran, or even, potentially, Greenland, the president is showing a new willingness to invade or attack other countries, while running roughshod over long-standing agreements and partnerships, in a way that has put the entire world on notice.

Mr. Trump鈥檚 continued use of tariffs as leverage to gain concessions from even the United States鈥� closest allies demonstrates how fully he is embracing a no-holds-barred approach to global politics. He can do whatever he wants, , limited only by 鈥渕y own morality,鈥� not international law.

His dogged insistence in recent days on the need to take Greenland from Denmark, despite strong opposition from Europe and even many Republican lawmakers, has set off alarm bells throughout the West.

When Mr. Trump addresses the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, Greenland will be top of mind. The foundations of NATO have been shaken to their core, the transatlantic defense alliance鈥檚 very existence in peril.

鈥淎s I expressed to everyone, very plainly, Greenland is imperative for National and World Security,鈥� Mr. Trump early Tuesday. 鈥淭here can be no going back 鈥� On that, everyone agrees!鈥�

Mr. Trump argues that acquiring Greenland is essential to his 鈥�Golden Dome鈥� security proposal, which aims to protect the United States from a missile attack, and that Europe is incapable of defending the island against Russia or China. The U.S. already has a military presence in Greenland, under a 1951 treaty with Denmark, but the president calls it insufficient to protect the massive, resource-rich Arctic island. Both he and Vice President JD Vance have also targeted Greenland鈥檚 economic assets, highlighting the island鈥檚 oil, gas, and rare-earth minerals, as well as its access to shorter trade passages through the Arctic.

Democratic and European critics say that Mr. Trump鈥檚 claims about the need to take over Greenland 鈥� by force, if necessary 鈥� are unnerving.

鈥淭hese are the ramblings of a man who has lost touch with reality,鈥� Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut .

A pivot to international affairs

In many ways, Mr. Trump is unique in the annals of the American presidency. But in at least one regard, as a second-term president, he is following a well-trod path with his sharp pivot to international affairs.

Two-term presidents often focus on domestic matters such as the economy in their first term, as those are usually top of mind for voters, and then work on legacy-building in the second term, often in the foreign arena. For Mr. Trump, some of his foreign policy focus is a matter of circumstance, as he inherited two significant international conflicts from President Joe Biden: Ukraine and Gaza.

Still, Mr. Trump鈥檚 foreign ambitions have gone way beyond these immediate crises and into territory unimaginable until recently 鈥� from his threat to turn Canada into the 51st state, to the idea of retaking the Panama Canal, to suggestions of U.S. military action against Mexico, Cuba, and Colombia.

Mr. Trump鈥檚 insistence on hemispheric dominance has been dubbed by some analysts a new 鈥�Donroe Doctrine.鈥� The coming 250th anniversary of the July 4, 1776, signing of the Declaration of Independence could also be a factor in Mr. Trump鈥檚 calculation of global image-making. But whether there鈥檚 a larger strategic imperative behind Mr. Trump鈥檚 actions, the desire for some kind of permanent legacy seems indisputable.

鈥淭he president may not have a grand strategy, but he does have a sense of his own place in the world and the American place in the world,鈥� says Russell Riley, co-director of the Presidential Oral History Program at the University of Virginia鈥檚 Miller Center.

Winning the Nobel Peace Prize became a singular obsession of Mr. Trump鈥檚 first year back in the office, as he claims to have ended eight wars, . Last week, Venezuelan opposition leader Mar铆a Corina Machado 鈥� the winner of the 2025 peace prize 鈥� gave the president her Nobel medal during a visit to the Oval Office, though the Nobel Foundation stated that the prize cannot be transferred, 鈥�.鈥�

On Monday, news broke that Mr. Trump had indicating that his push to take over Greenland was tied to his not winning the Nobel Peace Prize. The president wrote that he no longer feels an 鈥渙bligation to think purely of Peace.鈥� (Norway鈥檚 government by noting that it does not actually award the peace prize.)

Trump鈥檚 travels

Mr. Trump鈥檚 international focus this term has been reflected in his travel schedule. In the first year of his first term, he took four international trips, with his trip to Davos on Jan. 25-26, 2018, marking the fifth. In this second term, Davos will be his ninth international trip.

Many U.S. presidents enter office with little foreign policy experience, but by the second term, 鈥渁re more comfortable dealing with the world stage,鈥� says Tevi Troy, a presidential historian and senior fellow at the Ronald Reagan Institute. Often, at that point, signature domestic items have already been fulfilled, and the clock is ticking on their legacy.

Much of Mr. Trump鈥檚 domestic travel this term has been either to his estates in Florida and New Jersey or to sporting events. Add to that the stream of world leaders who have come to see Mr. Trump in the Oval Office, plus a key domestic trip with an international focus 鈥� his summit in Alaska last August with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The president鈥檚 efforts to sell the public on his 鈥淏ig Beautiful Bill鈥� 鈥� the signature legislative achievement of his second term so far, including tax cuts and funding for immigration enforcement 鈥� took place largely in Washington.

Lately, top aides have been urging him to get out more domestically and talk about the economy and affordability to help Republican candidates in the midterm elections this November. At a rare rally last month in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, Mr. Trump said that White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles had told him, 鈥淲e have to start campaigning, sir.鈥�

As a lame duck, Mr. Trump himself won鈥檛 be on the ballot again in 2028. Still, he knows this year鈥檚 midterms matter. His Republican Party controls the House by a tiny margin, and could well lose its majority, hindering his ability to pass legislation. In a recent speech to House Republicans, he said Democrats will 鈥溾�� if they retake the House.

But as Year 2 of Term 2 begins, Mr. Trump appears more confident and unbridled in his use of power than ever 鈥� and he is sticking to his international focus.

鈥淗e鈥檚 trying to do things without worrying about Congress or the courts,鈥� Dr. Troy says. 鈥淔oreign policy is one of those things.鈥�