The NPR Politics Podcast

Episode: Year In Review: Trump’s Foreign Policy

Date: December 16, 2025

Overview

This episode takes a detailed look at the first year of President Trump’s second administration with a particular focus on his foreign policy actions, achievements, and controversies. NPR’s Tamara Keith, Franco Ordoñez, and Greg Myrey analyze Trump’s claims of ending conflicts, his approach to Ukraine and Israel-Hamas, the evolving US posture toward allies and adversaries, and the broader implications for America’s role in the world order.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Claims of Solving Eight Wars

• Trump often asserts he has “solved eight wars,” though the podcast team is skeptical of these claims.
• Greg Myrey: “It’s a real stretch to claim he’s ended eight wars. Many of these were small scale skirmishes or tensions along a border or just diplomatic disputes with no actual shooting.” (00:45)
  • Example: The India-Pakistan ceasefire, brokered by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, deescalated tensions but didn’t address underlying issues.
  • Similarly, other “ended wars” are mostly ceasefires or pauses, not comprehensive resolutions.
• Franco Ordoñez: “Trump wants these peace deals so badly that he is so less interested in the details... he repeatedly wants to announce peace before peace actually happens. He loves a deal.” (01:41)

2. Awards and Recognition—The FIFA Peace Prize

• Trump’s receipt of the first FIFA Peace Prize is discussed and its symbolism debated.
• Franco Ordoñez: “When it was announced that Trump was receiving this award, it was amazing to hear the applause for Andrea Bocelli... in comparison, there’s a lot of controversy... controversies surrounded that award.” (02:41)
• The panel highlights Trump’s admiration for awards, particularly the unfulfilled ambition for the Nobel Peace Prize and FIFA’s attempts to curry favor.

3. Ukraine and Russia: No ‘Easy’ Win

• Despite campaign promises of quick peace, the Ukraine war endures with few real changes.
• Greg Myrey: “Looks right now like it looked a year ago before Trump entered office... Trump came into office this term sounding supportive of Russia... and critical of Ukraine.” (04:06)
• Trump’s pressure is mostly on Ukraine to make concessions (lose territory, among other things) in exchange for a peace Trump is eager to announce.
• US aid has halted and Trump’s stance has fluctuated between disengagement and limited engagement.
• Franco Ordoñez: “MAGA world has really been pushing Trump to pull out of kind of U.S. leadership of this battle.” (05:11)

4. Israel-Hamas Ceasefire

• A US-led negotiation brought about a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas; Trump’s administration heavily influenced the process.
• Franco Ordoñez: “US led the negotiation and was the architect of the plan. But... months or years of the US backing Israel... giving Netanyahu political cover... then forcing Israel’s hand to take the deal.” (07:02)
• Despite a temporary truce, ongoing issues remain: armed Hamas fighters, uncertain prospects for Gaza’s governance, and no progress toward a broader Israeli-Palestinian peace.
• Greg Myrey: “What is really hard are steps two and three here... The Israelis and Palestinians have been feuding for generations.” (08:18)

5. Trump’s Foreign Policy Throughline — Or Lack Thereof

• Trump’s foreign policy is characterized by seeming contradictions: efforts to end wars vs. alienating allies, use of airstrikes, and threatening tariffs.
• Greg Myrey: “You see peace efforts, you see tariffs and insults to allies. You see the use of military force. So he’s been a very active foreign policy president in his first year. I don’t know that there’s one clear through line.” (09:36)
• Franco Ordoñez: “Foreign policy is his policy. It’s the things he’s interested in. If someone wants something from the United States, Trump will use his interest as leverage...” (11:06)
• Immigration and tariffs are both used as tools for leverage; relationships with traditional allies are weaker while ties with autocrats like Putin and Mohammed bin Salman are stronger.

6. Breaking with the World Order — US Global Approach

• Trump’s posture marks a dramatic shift away from post-WWII American-led multilateralism.
• Greg Myrey: “Trump has talked about America first and pulling back the US role for years. Now it’s happening on multiple fronts in his current term and much more rapidly than in his first term.”
• The 2025 National Security Strategy is “scathing towards Europe,” portraying Europe as irrelevant, while being “soft on both Russia and China.” (14:51)
• Spheres of influence are emphasized, reviving doctrines like the Monroe Doctrine: “We will assert and enforce a Trump corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.” (19:08)

7. U.S. Policy in Latin America and Venezuela

• Heavy-handed actions in the Caribbean: US bombing of narco-trafficking boats is as much about regime change in Venezuela as drug interdiction.
• Franco Ordoñez: “It’s not just about firing on some drug boats... this president is looking at regime change in Venezuela and trying to put as much pressure on the current leader, Nicolas Maduro, to leave.” (20:21)
• Ongoing contradiction between non-interventionist campaign rhetoric and interventionist policy in the Western Hemisphere.
• Florida political dynamics, including the presence of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other Floridians, have shaped focus on Venezuela and even Cuba. (22:05)

8. Looking Forward: What to Watch in 2026

• Large U.S. military presence in the Caribbean is unsustainable—pressure for a decisive move or deescalation.
• Greg Myrey: “Maybe they go with an attack, an intervention, an invasion of Venezuela or they step down, but you wouldn’t expect them to just stay there... indefinite readiness is a strain...” (23:54)
• Ukraine’s fate hinges on US support, Russia’s continuing offensives, and possibly Trump’s political calculations in the run-up to midterms.
• Franco Ordoñez: “I don’t see an invasion [of Venezuela], but I could see some type of limited strike and then calling that a victory and pulling out.” (25:20)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Greg Myrey [00:45]: “It’s a real stretch to claim he’s ended eight wars...”
• Franco Ordoñez [01:41]: “Trump wants these peace deals so badly that he is so less interested in the details of those peace deals.”
• Franco Ordoñez [02:41]: “There’s a lot of controversy war that did not exist before [with the FIFA Peace Prize].”
• Greg Myrey [04:06]: “The war grinds on. Looks right now like it looked a year ago before Trump entered office.”
• Franco Ordoñez [05:11]: “MAGA world has really been pushing Trump to pull out... even Donald Trump Jr. has been suggesting that the president may walk away from Ukraine.”
• Greg Myrey [09:36]: “He’s continued to alienate a lot of allies, sometimes with just his comments, sometimes with his threatened or actual tariffs...”
• Franco Ordoñez [11:06]: “Foreign policy is his policy... If someone wants something from the United States, Trump will use his interest as leverage...”
• Greg Myrey [14:51]: “Trump’s [national security] document... is absolutely scathing towards Europe, saying Europe is essentially fading into irrelevance.”
• Greg Myrey [19:08]: “We will assert and enforce a Trump corollary to the Monroe Doctrine... the Western Hemisphere is the American hemisphere...”
• Franco Ordoñez [20:21]: “It’s something larger...this president is looking at regime change in Venezuela and trying to put as much pressure on the current leader, Nicolas Maduro, to leave.”
• Tamara Keith [22:05]: “I keep thinking about how critical he was of...regime change in Iraq. Trump was like, no regime change. And now what’s the end goal with Venezuela?”
• Greg Myrey [23:54]: “You probably can’t keep this large force...in a heightened state of alert, but not acting.”

Important Segment Timestamps

• [00:45] — Debunking Trump’s “eight wars ended” claim
• [02:41] — Trump’s FIFA Peace Prize
• [04:06] — Ukraine: Trump’s approach, Russia, and shifting alliances
• [05:11] — Pressure from Trump’s base to disengage from Ukraine
• [07:02] — The US-led truce between Israel and Hamas
• [09:36] — Contradictions and complexity of Trump’s foreign policy
• [14:51] — Shifting American world order & National Security Strategy
• [19:08] — Reviving the Monroe Doctrine and U.S. hemispheric priorities
• [20:21] — US actions in Venezuela and regional interventionism
• [23:54] — What to watch for in 2026: Venezuela, Ukraine, and domestic priorities

Conclusion

The first year of Trump’s second term has seen aggressive, and often contradictory, moves on the world stage: ambitious claims of peace, rejection of American-led multilateralism, insults to allies, coziness with autocrats, and an ongoing flirtation with military force—all while keeping one eye on personal legacy and political gain. The panel closes by warning that the coming year is likely to bring more dramatic developments and that the world, and the American public, should stay vigilant.