Why Trump's Foreign Policy Is More Dangerous Than Regime Change Ever Was

What happens when a president promises "no new wars" but ends up conducting global interventions without strategy, theory, or coherent goals? Donald Trump has managed to make the much-maligned era of "regime change" look restrained and logical by comparison.

Trump campaigned on ending America's interventionist habits—no more nation-building, no extended military deployments, no regime change operations. Instead, he's launched what can only be described as global buccaneering: inserting himself as a governing force everywhere from Venezuela to the Gaza Strip to Greenland, guided by real-estate salesmanship rather than foreign policy doctrine.

Venezuela: The Half-Measure That Satisfies No One

Trump's intervention in Venezuela perfectly illustrates the problem. Both the Biden and Trump administrations recognized Edmundo González as the legitimate winner of the 2024 election that Nicolás Maduro stole. Removing usurpers and installing a democratically elected government would have been justifiable.

But that's not what happened. Trump removed Maduro while keeping his inner circle—including Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello—in place. Meanwhile, he sidelined the actual opposition, leaving them without the respect and power needed to govern effectively.

The result? ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods declared the country "uninvestable." Without basic rule of law, foreign investment remains a pipe dream. Yet Trump's administration authorized the transfer of Venezuelan oil revenues from a Qatari bank account back to Venezuela's banks, effectively strengthening Delcy Rodríguez's regime at the opposition's expense.

Perhaps most bizarrely, Trump posted images on Truth Social showing himself as Venezuela's acting president and depicting Venezuela as U.S. territory. How exactly does this provide the stability needed for economic recovery?

Gaza: The Return of 19th-Century Imperialism

Trump's approach to Gaza would make Victorian-era imperialists blush. Without any evidence that Hamas is prepared to allow demilitarization, he's formed a "Board of Peace" that he plans to chair and essentially control.

The board's composition reveals its fundamental weakness. Most European countries declined to join (with exceptions like Hungary, Belarus, and Bulgaria). Russia may or may not be a member. China was invited but is "checking its dance card." Israel joined but remains deeply unhappy. Canada was disinvited entirely.

Trump appears to have near-total control over the board's decisions, with the "executive committee" including his son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff—a New York real-estate developer. He's requested $1 billion in initial dues from each member, creating what amounts to an impressive, unaccountable slush fund.

The board supposedly will oversee everything in Trump's Middle East peace plan and potentially undertake unspecified good works in Ukraine and Venezuela. It has all the earmarks of a new British East India Company in the making.

Greenland: The Duke of York's 10,000 Men

Trump'sGreenland adventure perfectly captured his approach: march up the hill, then march back down again. First, he threatened military force to seize Greenland and renew tariff wars against European allies. Then he swiftly reversed course, accepting a plan with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to prevent a disastrous Atlantic alliance split.

The damage was already done. His regime-change threat against a treaty ally caused deep distress across Europe, significantly weakened NATO, and delighted the Kremlin—showing just how misguided the entire episode was from the start.

Iran: The Right Answer for Wrong Reasons

Iran represents perhaps the only place where Trump seems to be considering actual regime change. "It's time to look for new leadership in Iran," he declared, justifying this position on neoconservative grounds—the brutal repression of Iran's people—rather than U.S. geostrategic interests.

Ironically, this might be the right answer, but Trump's execution remains characteristically flawed. He exhorted Iranian protesters: "KEEP PROTESTING—TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!!" But no help has materialized. Facing potential massacre, protesters have stayed indoors and feel betrayed.

The Pattern Behind the Chaos

At least traditional regime change had logic: if reforming a hostile regime is impossible, replace it with something more friendly and democratic when benefits outweigh costs. Trump's interventions meet none of these criteria.

His approach lacks consistency, theory, or connection to reality. In Venezuela, he kept the corrupt apparatus while sidelining democrats. In Gaza, he's created an imperial board without securing basic preconditions for peace. In Greenland, he threatened allies before backing down. In Iran, he's abandoned protesters after encouraging them to risk their lives.