Donald Trump returned to office as president on Monday and resumed his duties as commander in chief. His position puts him once again in charge of the world’s most powerful military, which – often at his discretion – can either engage in lethal warfare or act as a deterrent and a force of peace.
How Trump conducted himself as commander-in-chief during his first administration may provide a guide for the next four years.
President Donald Trump speaks during the inaugural parade at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025.
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
In Monday’s inaugural address, Trump set the tone for a major shift in US foreign policy that could have seismic consequences for America’s friends and foes.
“Our armed forces will be free to focus on their sole mission — to defeat America’s enemies,” he said.
His recent comments about taking over the Panama Canal and Greenland — refusing to rule out the use of military force to do so — raised eyebrows, along with referring to neighboring Canada as “the 51st state.” He also signed an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America” on Monday.
“It was an intent to capture that media attention and put themselves at the center of the news cycle,” retired Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO, told ABC News. “This unpredictability means all roads lead back to the Oval Office and his next statement.”
But Trump’s slogans about making America great and putting America first may soon clash with his need for the world to see him as a dealmaker. The war in Ukraine has been raging since 2022, but he has promised to end it.
“Soon after I win the presidency, I will settle the terrible war between Russia and Ukraine,” he said last August. “I’ll get it settled very quickly.”
A picture remains on the wall of a kindergarten building that was damaged during the Russian invasion in Kharkiv’s Saltivka district, January 20, 2025, in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
Carl Court/Getty Images
Trump warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that if the war does not end soon, Ukraine may receive significantly more aid.
At the same time, he has told Ukraine that it will not receive more US aid unless it enters into peace talks. Last week, during his Senate confirmation hearing, White House budget director nominee Russell Vought declined to fully commit to handing out $3.8 billion in aid that Congress has already approved.
China’s threats to Taiwan and international shipping could also encourage Trump to show Chinese President Xi Jinping that the United States believes it has gained the upper hand militarily.
“He will always expose himself to a solution that makes him appear strong and in charge,” Lute told ABC News. “So I don’t think there’s an easy way to walk away from a big competition with China.”
The situation at the US-Mexico border is also top of mind, with Trump declaring a national emergency in his inaugural address.
“I will end the practice of catch and release and I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country,” he said.
The biggest difference in American foreign policy can be seen in the Middle East and the war between Israel and Hamas. On January 7, he set a deadline for a Gaza cease-fire agreement in exchange for Hamas releasing hostages it took in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
“If the deal is not completed before I take office, which will now be in two weeks … all hell will break loose,” he said during a news conference.
So last week, the outgoing Biden administration — along with incoming Trump envoys — helped broker a cease-fire and hostage exchange that took effect Sunday. However, the agreement is fragile and full of pitfalls. In particular, it remains unclear who will rule Gaza if the peace lasts.
Palestinians walk on a street in Jabalia along the rubble of destroyed buildings as the displaced make their way to the northern areas of the Gaza Strip, January 21, 2025.
Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP via Getty Images
The pictures on the street reveal an unpleasant reality. Hamas gunmen are still in charge – a situation that is unacceptable to the Israeli government. Nor is it likely that the Trump administration will accept that Hamas is in control.
Beyond Gaza, the situation in the Middle East has undergone significant changes since Trump was last president. Iran, a major power in the region, has seen many of its allies weakened by various conflicts.
Hamas has been devastated and weakened by months of conflict with Israel. Lebanese political party and armed group Hezbollah – designated a terrorist group by the United States – is a shadow of its former strength, with its leader Hassan Nasrallah killed in an Israeli strike in September.
Former Syrian President Bashar Assad also fled the country his family ruled for more than 50 years after his regime was toppled by a rebel offensive in December.
In the midst of this new balance of power, Trump wants to normalize diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Such a pact could bring peace and stability to the region — the Biden administration was working to broker this deal ahead of Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel.
The Trump administration faces enormous international challenges – and it is not certain that the United States will go it alone.
