Trumpism isn't going 'to survive': analysis
In an article for the Washington Post published Sunday, Karen Tumulty, the outlet's chief political correspondent, argued that much of what once defined President Donald Trump’s foreign‑policy posture has become incoherent, inconsistent, or hollow. She contends that the traits which once gave Trumpism its shape — bold rhetoric, transactional diplomacy, personal negotiation, and disruption of norms — are now more show than substance.
Tumulty pointed out that Trump’s criticisms of institutions like the U.N. are no longer unusual; experts across ideological lines now share many of the same complaints, which dilutes what used to be an outsider posture.
She highlighted how Trump’s approach to Ukraine in particular has shifted: he once seemed to believe his personal leverage with Russian President Vladimir Putin or pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could change the war’s course, but now manifests a kind of resignation, observing rather than driving policy. Tumulty suggested that ambition remains — Trump speaks more strongly about Ukraine and signals tougher stances, but the follow‑through is missing. She shows that despite changes in rhetoric, there is little in the way of concrete or consistent policies, especially on issues like sanctions or institutional reform.
Tumulty’s case is that many of Trump’s international goals have become symbolic or rhetorical rather than substantive. His expressions of power and intention are increasingly undercut by either institutional constraints or a gap between words and deeds. She argued that the movement built around him appears to be losing its distinctive force, not because he’s given up altogether, but because the arrangements and expectations that once sustained his foreign‑policy style are no longer working as advertised.
“I don’t think there’s a Trump doctrine. I don’t think he has a philosophy. I don’t think he does grand strategy. I don’t even think he does policy as that term is conventionally understood in Washington,” John Bolton, former U.N. ambassador under George W. Bush and national security adviser during Trump’s first term, told The Post.
“There isn’t any Trumpism that’s going to survive. It’s all about his interest and what he wants.”
The piece further noted: "For all of these swings back and forth, however, Trump remains focused on at least one international goal: the Nobel Peace Prize. Though a Washington Post-Ipsos poll indicated more than three-quarters of Americans think he doesn’t deserve one, he told the U.N. General Assembly that 'everyone says' he should receive the honor."
