doIt’s no surprise: American voters choose their president based on domestic considerations. In the fall of 2024, inflation, abortion rights, the migrant crisis, and even the preservation of democracy are the most debated topics. Foreign policy remains in second place, even if echoes of the wars in Ukraine, Gaza and now Lebanon have marked the campaign.
But in reality there is no longer a clear distinction between internal and external issues. Joe Biden theorized this during his first foreign policy speech in February 2021: “There is no longer a clear line between foreign policy and domestic policy. Every action we take abroad must be done with America’s working families in mind. Promoting a pro-middle class foreign policy requires an urgent focus on our domestic economic renewal. » The defense of American jobs, the rejection of the emblematic free trade agreements of the 1990s and the lack of appetite for a new war form a new consensus in Washington, from which each one draws different conclusions.
In this sense, the contrast between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris is striking. The presidential elections on November 5 are also a referendum on the United States’ place in the concert, or rather in the clash of nations. A vote on American values and interests. A choice between the classic defense of multilateralism and a vision of a chaotic world, of a jungle, where Washington should favor the balance of power over cooperation.
“This election has enormous historical importance.underlines Charles Kupchan, professor of international relations and expert at the Council on Foreign Relations think tank. Today, the political center of liberal democracies is in trouble, whether here in France, Germany, Italy or Brazil. If Trump were to win, it would be a very worrying sign for the future of ideological moderation in the Western world. » In the United States, adds Charles Kupchan, foreign policy has become an issue of strong polarization between Democrats and Republicans, since the latter, under the dominance of the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement, are no longer part “an internationalist party”.
Foreign policy is approached without nuances to damage the credibility of the adversary. The candidates accuse each other of weakness, but in a different sense of the word. Donald Trump denounces the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 to highlight the Biden-Harris administration’s alleged disregard for the reputation of the United States and the fate of its soldiers. On the contrary, Kamala Harris highlights her opponent’s venality and narcissism, which make him easy prey for America’s enemies.
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