The neoconservative National Review appears thrilled with President-elect Donald J. Trump’s early and rumored appointments. The outlet hopes they signal that the America First leader will not disengage from foreign forever wars—or, as they put it, “retreat from the world stage”—after all.
In an article titled ‘Trump Might Not Lead a U.S. Retreat from the World Stage After All,’ NR senior writer Noah Rothman expresses happiness with Marco Rubio’s rumored appointment as Secretary of State, Mike Waltz’s appointment as National Security Adviser, and Elise Stefanik’s appointment as Ambassador to the United Nations.
“If loyalty matters more than the contours of any one particular policy item, we can assume that Trump’s second term will look a lot like the first,” Rothman predicts. “Beyond trade and immigration—areas where [Trump’s] passions lie—Trump’s appointees will probably have latitude to set U.S. policy. That’s making some of Trump’s true believers nervous,” he gloats, adding: “They thought they were electing the architect of America’s grand retreat from the world stage. But Trump’s cabinet picks suggest that something else is in the offing.”
Rothman believes Rubio, Waltz, and Stefanik will be “hostile toward Iran” and “inclined to take a confrontational approach toward China” and that the incoming administration’s approach to Russia may also be more aggressive than expected. He cites past statements by Waltz indicating that military aid to Ukraine could actually increase, arguing, “Threatening Vladimir Putin with the prospect of increased U.S. support for Ukraine’s defense beyond the point at which Russia can easily absorb the risk doesn’t just speak Putin’s language—it is the essence of deterrence.”
However, some in the MAGA movement are still lobbying for a course correction regarding appointments. Rubio, in particular, has less support among Trump’s base for Secretary of State than Richard Grennell, the former Ambassador to Germany.
