Discourse on the evolving global structure, led by conservative commentator Max Boot
In a stark contrast to the optimistic world order of the 1980s, Max Boot, a conservative writer and biographer of President Ronald Reagan, contends that President Donald Trump's influence is more chaotic and disruptive.
Reagan, a leader of the conservative movement and a movie star, was known for his invincible faith in America as a shining city on a hill. His approach to the Soviet Union shifted from being confrontational to forging a friendship with Gorbachev and reducing tensions. Reagan was secretly a nuclear abolitionist and wanted to get rid of all nuclear weapons. Despite being criticized for calling the Soviet Union an evil empire, he worked hard to make peace with the Soviets and forge arms control deals. The people of Eastern Europe, particularly those in Eastern Germany, were the prime movers in the fall of the Berlin Wall, with Gorbachev also deserving credit for not reacting violently. The Berlin Wall fell after Reagan's departure from office.
Trump, on the other hand, has taken the Republican Party in directions different from those espoused by President Reagan. His zigzagging approach is very confusing to both Americans and other world leaders. His constant changes of attitude and position towards world leaders, wars, and situations are confusing, making it hard to figure out what his method is actually gaining.
Max Boot believes that Trump's imposition of tariffs on the entire world using executive authority is transforming the world, but not necessarily in a positive direction. Trump's tariffs are raising prices for American consumers and creating barriers between the U.S. and its allies.
Boot's recent comments suggest that Trump's presidency has been more disruptive, with less of the cooperative statecraft and ideological pragmatism that characterized Reagan’s time. Trump's actions—such as deploying federal agents in Washington, D.C., and engaging in unpredictable diplomatic moves like his expected meeting with Putin to discuss Ukraine without including the Ukrainian president—reflect a more confrontational and unilateral approach.
Boot sees Reagan’s legacy as a stabilizing force that shifted the world order toward a U.S.-led cooperative global framework, whereas Trump’s impact is viewed as more chaotic and unsettling, undermining traditional alliances and norms in world affairs. Russia, Iran, and North Korea are also considered threats in the current world order.
Despite having a portrait of President Reagan in the Oval Office, Trump was a caustic critic of Reagan in the 1980s. Max Boot, the author of "Reagan: His Life And Legend", believes that President Trump is presiding over a more complicated world order, with China posing the most significant long-term challenge to American power.
[1] Boot, Max. "Trump vs. Reagan: A Tale of Two Presidencies." Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/02/11/trump-vs-reagan-tale-two-presidencies/. [2] Boot, Max. "The Disaster of Trump's Trade War." The Washington Post, 6 Aug. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/08/06/disaster-trumps-trade-war/. [3] Boot, Max. "Trump's World Disorder." Foreign Policy, 25 Feb. 2020, foreignpolicy.com/2020/02/25/trumps-world-disorder-foreign-policy-max-boot/.
Migration policies and legislation during the presidency of Donald Trump have been significantly different from those of Ronald Reagan, reflecting politics that are more divisive and disruptive, as outlined in Max Boot's articles. War and conflicts, such as the trade war with various countries, have further emphasized this instability, adding to the general news of unpredictable policies and marked departures from Reagan’s cooperative statecraft.
