Donald Trump’s “America First” doesn’t mean isolating the United States from the world. It means putting the interests of American citizens ahead of those of others in international relations. In The Telegraph, Nile Gardiner explains that Trump’s interest in European politics dwarfs that of his predecessors, and that has garnered the American president respect among Europeans. Gardiner writes:
Forget Friedrich Merz, Emmanuel Macron, or Ursula von der Leyen. Donald Trump emerged in 2025 as the real leader of Europe, and 2026 is only likely to cement his position.
In just the first year of his second term, Trump’s administration has shaken Europe’s foundations to the core, with a far more assertive and effective approach towards transatlantic relations compared to the previous Biden administration.
The impact is being felt at every level, not least by European voters. A striking recent story in Politico (“Trump dominates democracy in Europe”) highlighted the results of a 10,000-person poll, showing that he was viewed as “strong and decisive” compared to their own leaders by 74 per cent of Germans, 73 per cent of Frenchmen, and 69 per cent of Britons. The corresponding figures for the leaders of Germany, France and the UK were 26 per cent, 27 per cent and 31 per cent respectively. Trump may not be loved in Europe, but he is increasingly respected as a force to be reckoned with. Europeans evidently view him as a towering presence in shaping their destiny.
Trump is often erroneously accused of being an isolationist. The truth is he has taken a far keener interest in Europe than his predecessors and has been actively involved in helping shape the continent’s future. He is the most transatlanticist American president since Ronald Reagan, and views rescuing Europe as a vital national interest for the United States. His approach toward Europe is nothing short of revolutionary. He is the first US president to challenge the European Project, and his end goal is momentous: saving Western civilisation itself.
There are four core pillars to the Trump approach to Europe, all aimed at increasing the strength of the West: building military capacity and reviving Nato; ending mass migration and securing Europe’s borders; preserving freedom of speech, thought and expression across the Atlantic; and defending national sovereignty in Europe.
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