When Donald Trump first entered the White House, most analysts feared his foreign policy would be the biggest risk — a volatile experiment by a political novice promising to remake the world order.
Yet, as columnist Ross Douthat notes, Trump’s international record has often been more stable and successful than his domestic agenda. The difference between his diplomatic results and his political stumbles at home has become especially clear in recent months.
A Record of Global Achievements
From the ceasefire in Gaza to firmer European burden-sharing in Ukraine, Trump’s global diplomacy has delivered results that many critics doubted were possible.
His administration has pressured Iran’s nuclear and terror networks, strengthened ties with Arab nations, and navigated the Russia-Ukraine conflict without the collapse or appeasement some had predicted.
Douthat argues that, despite the controversies surrounding Trump’s leadership style, his foreign policy has produced more durable achievements than his domestic initiatives — and offers clues for improvement at home.
1. Float Above Ideology
According to Douthat, Trump’s success abroad stems partly from his ability to shift between ideological camps.
He has alternated between hawkish and realist approaches — aligning with pro-Israel hardliners one day, then pressing Prime Minister Netanyahu the next.
Domestically, however, Trump has remained tethered to traditional GOP orthodoxy, resulting in unpopular tax and spending policies that favored corporations and the wealthy. Promised populist projects such as infrastructure, industrial policy, and family benefits have largely stalled.
2. Be Open to Dealmaking With Everyone
Another lesson: Trump’s global diplomacy has thrived on his willingness to talk to adversaries — from Iran’s leaders and Vladimir Putin to Kim Jong Un and the Taliban.
“Even when nothing comes of it,” Douthat writes, “Trump is eager to have the conversation — to look for the unexpected bargain.”
At home, however, Trump’s style has been less collaborative, marked by public feuds and partisan stalemates. Unlike his international strategy, where he often mixes confrontation with negotiation, his domestic approach has leaned on unilateral executive action and political retribution.
3. Let Outsiders Lead Negotiations
Finally, Trump’s foreign policy has often relied on business-minded negotiators like Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, whose deal-making instincts sometimes outperformed traditional diplomats.
By contrast, Trump’s second-term domestic team is dominated by partisan operatives such as Stephen Miller and Russell Vought, whose focus on ideological purity may limit broader success.
Lessons in Leadership
Douthat suggests that the same flexibility and transactional instinct that earned Trump wins overseas could be applied domestically — if he were willing to move beyond old partisan battles.
“Foreign policy is for grand achievements and Nobel dreams,” Douthat concludes, “while the domestic front has become a stage for revenge. But true success lies outside that cycle — if you want your victories to last.”
