What Is—and Isn’t—in Trump’s New National Defense Strategy

Alright, here’s what’s on tap for the day: what’s in the new U.S. National Defense Strategy , U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest threats toward Iran , and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ’s back-and-forth with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Venezuela .

Welcome back to Foreign Policy’s Situation Report, where we have just learned that Chinese President Xi Jinping is a Manchester United supporter , and Rishi (also a fan of the club) isn’t sure how he feels about that. John, a Liverpool supporter, remains confident in his choices.

Welcome back to Foreign Policy’s Situation Report, where we have just learned that Chinese President Xi Jinping is a Manchester United supporter, and Rishi (also a fan of the club) isn’t sure how he feels about that. John, a Liverpool supporter, remains confident in his choices.

Alright, here’s what’s on tap for the day: what’s in the new U.S. National Defense Strategy, U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest threats toward Iran, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s back-and-forth with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Venezuela.

What Is—and Isn’t—in Trump’s New Defense Strategy

The Pentagon’s new National Defense Strategy (NDS), which was quietly released last Friday after months of delay, is a real doozy of a document. It begins by characterizing the “rules-based international order” as a “cloud-castle” abstraction, echoing U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent assertion that he doesn’t “need international law.” The NDS offers yet another window into the Trump administration’s unorthodox approach to defense and the ways in which it’s determined to divorce the United States from long-standing policies and norms.

Breaking from the tone and content of past versions, the new NDS reiterates the president’s “America First” philosophy and could easily be confused with one of Trump’s campaign speeches. It takes numerous jabs at prior administrations, accusing them of neglecting U.S.