12 Days of Christmas: Trump’s Foreign Policy Failures in 2025
It should come as no surprise that Donald Trump’s first year back in the White House has come with a familiar soundtrack: bold claims, sudden pivots, and foreign policy blunders that have cost Americans – and made the country less safe. So, in the spirit of the season, we’re borrowing an old carol to review Trump’s first year back in office. Twelve defining “gifts” of his national security approach – some shocking, many dangerous, and all with consequences that outlived the headlines. Needless to say, none of these were on Americans’ wish lists. Still, here they are: Donald Trump’s 12 foreign policy blunders of 2025.
Tariffs that are making Americans’ lives more expensive. Despite campaign promises to improve the economy for everyday Americans, Trump’s start-and-stop tariffs have plunged the economy into chaos – driving up living costs for millions of families, risking thousands of U.S. jobs, and undercutting businesses of all sizes. Trump’s tariffs, one of the most harmful and chaotic economic policies in recent memory, are the top reason why Americans disapprove of his foreign policy.
A capitulation to China that’s costing American families. Shortly after taking office, Trump launched a high-stakes dispute with China, which he claimed would force Beijing to the negotiating table and revitalize the American economy. In reality, China stood its ground – and the costs of Trump’s tariffs have landed squarely on the American people. Since then, Trump has continued to grant major concessions to China – including by selling our most powerful technology to Beijing and threatening to abandon our allies in the region. Now, with a sluggish economy and an anxious electorate, Trump is seeking an off-ramp – one that would allow him to declare victory without actually delivering for America. Trump’s failed approach is a gift only Beijing could love.
A foreign policy designed to line Trump’s pockets – not protect American interests. It’s no secret that Donald Trump is using the Oval Office to enrich himself, his family, and his billionaire political backers. What is shocking is how brazen he’s been about it. From accepting a $200 million jet from Qatar and lining up lucrative deals in the Middle East to approving a shady TikTok deal and pardoning billionaires who helped him make millions of dollars in cryptocurrency, Trump’s corruption has never been more blatant. And that’s just scratching the surface of this administration’s self-dealing – at the expense of the American people.
A bailout for Argentina – but not for working Americans. In October, the Trump Administration announced a $20 billion bailout for Argentina’s struggling economy – one of the largest direct foreign rescue packages in decades – even as Argentina fails to pay its existing debts. The announcement came amid a government shutdown over rising health care costs, as American farmers suffered from Trump’s trade war and federal workers went unpaid. None of this was America First. It’s Trump First, with Americans footing the bill.
A false image of himself as the “president of peace.” Donald Trump has long claimed he would end America’s “forever wars” and reduce our nation’s military footprint overseas. But the facts tell a different story. Rather than restraining U.S. military involvement abroad, Trump has expanded it by launching new conflicts, escalating existing ones, and repeatedly threatening military action in service of his own political ambitions. Far from a stabilizing force, Trump’s leadership has been defined by chaos, impulsiveness, and a willingness to use military power as a political tool.
A dangerous relationship with Vladimir Putin. This summer, Donald Trump declined to ramp up pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine, and instead decided to host Vladimir Putin in Alaska for a made-for-TV “peace summit” that only appears to have prolonged the conflict. Trump quite literally rolled out the red carpet for Putin, launching a political stunt disguised as diplomacy – and gambling prospects for peace along the way. Trump’s volatile approach to the war has had serious consequences for our Ukrainian partners – and allowed Putin to double down on the war.
An extremist immigration agenda that is making us less safe. Just months into his second term, Trump ordered a series of deranged deportation flights that sent migrants thousands of miles away from any home they’ve ever known – seemingly just to be cruel. He renewed his first-term travel ban – a senseless policy that hasn’t made America more secure. Finally, Trump’s obsession with tracking down immigrants in our communities has diverted tens of thousands of law enforcement officers away from stopping gun-crimes, targeting drug dealers, and preventing human trafficking.
A dangerous conflict in Latin America. What began as a supposedly limited campaign against alleged drug-trafficking vessels is rapidly evolving into something far broader: a regime-change operation and potential U.S. invasion. His actions risk entangling the United States in a conflict with no clear objective, no legal authorization, and no exit strategy – one with very real costs in lives lost, resources drained, and years spent dealing with the fallout. Worse yet, these airstrikes won’t meaningfully disrupt drug-trafficking – and Trump knows it. There’s no real strategy here, just spectacle.
A series of bizarre, failed attempts at territorial expansion. Rather than working to lower costs or improve the lives of American families, Donald Trump spent most of his first few months in office pursuing bizarre territorial expansion. He offered to pay each Greenlander $10,000 a year to accept annexation and threatened to use military force to take the island. He has directed top military advisors to develop plans for “reclaiming” control over the Panama Canal. And he continues to inflame tensions with our top trading partner by suggesting Canada become the 51st state. He even proposed sending thousands of U.S. troops to occupy Gaza. Unsurprisingly, this wasn’t a popular gift: only 1% of Americans believe territorial expansion should be a priority for the President.
A U.S. military that he views as a personal, political tool. This summer, Donald Trump dramatically escalated his efforts to deploy the National Guard in cities run by his political opponents by directing the Defense Department to take a larger role in domestic law enforcement. Trump’s executive order marks a troubling escalation in his ongoing efforts to consolidate power. This holiday season, Trump is once again using the military as a political weapon – not to protect the public, but to intimidate and provoke.
A scandal-plagued national security team that can’t be trusted to keep us safe. It didn’t take long for the Trump Administration to rack up a major national security embarrassment in 2025. By accidentally adding a journalist to an unsecured group chat where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth disclosed highly-classified operational details, the Trump Administration wasted no time in reminding the American people of their dangerous disregard for American national security. A damning report on that failure recently confirmed that Hegseth’s actions endangered American service members. In the months since, Trump’s team hasn’t done enough to earn back the trust of the American people – and many of his Cabinet members remain under close scrutiny.
An “America Alone” foreign policy. As president, Donald Trump has cut off global aid programs, abandoned American leadership, and damaged our alliances, undermining a major source of U.S. strength. The only relationships he seems to value are those where he can bully a less powerful country or extract something of value for himself. But this bullying mentality isn’t what Americans asked for. In fact, many voters are deeply concerned about Trump’s go-it-alone mentality and abrasive behavior toward our closest allies.
Published: December 2025