Podcast Summary: Consider This from NPR

Episode: Poll finds Americans concerned as Trump accelerates global intervention
Date: January 9, 2026
Host: Mary Louise Kelly
Guests: Domenico Montanaro (Senior Political Editor), Jackie Northam (Senior International Affairs Correspondent)
Theme: Examining the shift in US foreign policy under President Trump’s second term, its impact on global affairs, and how Americans and the world view these developments—with fresh insights from a new NPR/Ipsos poll.

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode unpacks President Trump's significant departure from his original "America First" promises to a much more aggressive and interventionist foreign policy in his second term. The discussion explores the domestic and international responses to these policies, especially after the US ousted Venezuela's president, and analyzes findings from a recent NPR/Ipsos poll revealing Americans' conflicted views on the nation’s role in global affairs.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Policy Shift: From Isolation to Intervention

• Opening Context:
  • Clips of Donald Trump’s past speeches (00:00–01:04) juxtapose earlier “America First, not globalism” rhetoric with recent aggressive international moves—e.g., ousting Venezuela’s president, threatening Iran, military action in Yemen, Syria, Nigeria, and even annexation talk about Greenland and Canada.
• “There’s no question that in his second term, Donald Trump is entirely unbound and he’s eager to throw America’s weight around in the world.”
  – Mary Louise Kelly [01:12]

2. Public Opinion: Americans’ Ambivalence on World Leadership

• Poll Results (NPR/Ipsos):
  • 61% say the US should be a moral leader, but only 39% think it actually is—down from 60% in 2017. [04:17]
  • Nearly half of Americans prefer that Washington “should stay out of other countries’ affairs.” [01:04, 04:17]
  • Contradiction within the Republican base: 67% support use of military force, but 56% also say the US should steer clear of other nations’ affairs.
    “...his party’s rank and file are seemingly fine with military action, [but] might not be okay with running the country long term.”
    – Domenico Montanaro [05:08]
• Partisan Lens:
  • 75% of Democrats and 60% of independents think the US has lost global influence, but only 25% of Republicans agree. [07:47]

3. World Perspective: Allies Anxious, Trust Erodes

• Muted Official Responses, Public Anxiety:
  • European and Indian analysts note leaders are cautious not to antagonize Trump, but public concern is palpable.
  • “When you hear people on the radio, they are worried. They say, but what is next? You know, can they really invade Greenland? What will happen? What should we do? Are we going to send troops there?”
    – Sylvie Kaufman, Le Monde columnist relayed by Mary Louise Kelly [05:59]
• Strained Alliances:
  • US actions in Venezuela and talk of Greenland prompt NATO and allied countries to question future relations and alliance stability. [06:13]
• Deeper Analysis:
  • Early in Trump’s second term, world leaders viewed his actions as transactional. But experts now see a more ideological push to “exercise US power” beyond profit or leverage.
    “...America had actually not exercised its power correctly. Quite extraordinary. And I think the rest of the world is beginning to see that.”
    – Pratap Mehta, Center for Policy Research [06:58]
  • Jackie Northam notes interviews with analysts in several countries who now use the term "enemy" for the US, underscoring how trust and goodwill have eroded globally. [07:13–07:22]

4. Influence and Shifting Priorities

• Changing Priorities:
  • Only 16% of Republicans now say the US should prioritize promoting democracy and human rights—a major shift from previous GOP platforms focused on democracy promotion and countering communism. [08:33–09:13]
  • Two-thirds of Republicans feel the US should focus its foreign policy on “enriching” the country, whereas most Democrats and half of independents prioritize democracy/human rights. [08:33]
• Global Influence:
  • 57% of Americans believe China has gained in global influence while the US has declined. [07:22]

5. The Road Ahead: Uncertainties and Risks

• Foreign Policy in Flux:
  • Trump's upending of the post-WWII world order shifts the US toward regional/hemispheric dominance reminiscent of colonialism.
    “He’s been able to convince his base that this is the way to go, in part because Americans don’t care as much about foreign policy compared to, say, the economy as a voting issue.”
    – Domenico Montanaro [09:24]
• Potential Risks:
  • International relations professor Michael Cox warns of “the classical overreach of hubris, to use the old fantastic Greek word...and that’s not going to do anybody any good. It therefore becomes a rather dangerous moment.” [10:20]
  • Jackie Northam cautions that Trump’s ambitions are not assured—domestic issues could still undermine them. [10:32]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Yeah, there’s one thing. My own morality, my own mind.”
  – Donald Trump, on what might limit his global actions [03:36]
• “There’s quite a lot of emotion about this...Can they really invade Greenland? What will happen?...Are we going to send troops there?”
  – Sylvie Kaufman via Mary Louise Kelly [05:59]
• “It’s actually quite remarkable how much he seems to believe that...America had actually not exercised its power correctly. Quite extraordinary.”
  – Pratap Mehta, Center for Policy Research [06:58]
• “There’s a danger...of the classical overreach of hubris, to use the old fantastic Greek word, and that’s not going to do anybody any good. It therefore becomes a rather dangerous moment.”
  – Michael Cox, LSE [10:20]

Key Timestamps

• 00:00–01:12: Trump’s shift from isolationist rhetoric to aggressive foreign action
• 04:17: Poll results on US moral leadership and influence
• 05:21–06:22: International response: global concern, alliance worries
• 06:58–07:47: Analysts’ insights—shift from transactional to ideological, US seen as “enemy”
• 08:33–09:13: Shifted GOP priorities in foreign policy
• 09:24–10:32: Big-picture risks, hubris, and future uncertainty

Conclusion

The episode illuminates a stark transformation in US foreign policy under Trump’s second term, backed by military interventions and a willingness to discard the rules-based global order for American supremacy. Americans themselves are deeply conflicted: while most want the US to lead morally, few believe it is, and partisan divides shape every aspect of public opinion. US allies are nervous, trust is evaporating, and experts warn that unchecked ambition may herald instability ahead. As the world recalibrates around America’s unpredictability, the stakes—and the anxieties—are higher than ever.