Donald Trump

=== Foreign policy ===
{{Main|Foreign policy of the Donald Trump administration}}
{{See also|List of international presidential trips made by Donald Trump}}

[[File:-G7Biarritz (48616362963).jpg|thumb|Trump with the other [[Group of Seven|G7]] leaders at the [[45th G7 summit|45th summit]] in France, 2019|alt=Trump and other G7 leaders sit at a conference table]]
Trump described himself as a "nationalist"<ref>{{cite web|first=William|last=Cummings|title='I am a nationalist': Trump's embrace of controversial label sparks uproar|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/10/24/trump-says-hes-nationalist-what-means-why-its-controversial/1748521002/|work=[[USA Today]]|date=October 24, 2018|access-date=August 24, 2021}}</ref> and his foreign policy as "[[America First (policy)|America First]]".<ref name=Bennhold>{{cite web|first=Katrin|last=Bennhold|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/06/world/europe/germany-troop-withdrawal-america.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=Has 'America First' Become 'Trump First'? Germans Wonder|date=June 6, 2020|access-date=August 24, 2021}}</ref> His foreign policy was marked by praise and support of [[Populism|populist]], [[Neo-nationalism|neo-nationalist]], and authoritarian governments.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://carnegieendowment.org/2018/10/01/can-u.s.-democracy-policy-survive-trump-pub-77381|title=Can U.S. Democracy Policy Survive Trump?|last1=Carothers|first1=Thomas|last2=Brown|first2=Frances Z.|date=October 1, 2018|website=[[Carnegie Endowment for International Peace]]|access-date=October 19, 2019}}</ref> Hallmarks of foreign relations during Trump's tenure included unpredictability and uncertainty,<ref name=Bennhold /> a lack of consistent policy,<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/iran/2020-01-22/cost-incoherent-foreign-policy|title=The Cost of an Incoherent Foreign Policy: Trump's Iran Imbroglio Undermines U.S. Priorities Everywhere Else|first=Brett|last=McGurk|author-link=Brett McGurk|journal=[[Foreign Affairs]]|date=January 22, 2020|access-date=August 24, 2021}}</ref> and strained and sometimes antagonistic relationships with European allies.<ref>{{cite web|first=Ana|last=Swanson|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/business/economy/trump-european-union-trade.html|title=Trump Administration Escalates Tensions With Europe as Crisis Looms|date=March 12, 2020|access-date=October 4, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> He criticized [[Member states of NATO|NATO allies]] and privately suggested on multiple occasions that the U.S. should [[Withdrawal from NATO#United States|withdraw from NATO]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Baker|first=Peter |author-link=Peter Baker (journalist)|date=May 26, 2017 |access-date=October 4, 2021|title=Trump Says NATO Allies Don't Pay Their Share. Is That True?|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/26/world/europe/nato-trump-spending.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Barnes|first1=Julian E.|last2=Cooper|first2=Helene|author-link2=Helene Cooper|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/14/us/politics/nato-president-trump.html|title=Trump Discussed Pulling U.S. From NATO, Aides Say Amid New Concerns Over Russia|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 14, 2019 |access-date=April 5, 2021}}</ref>

==== Trade ====
{{See also|Trump tariffs}}
Trump withdrew the U.S. from the [[Trans-Pacific Partnership]] (TPP) negotiations,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cnn.com/2017/01/23/politics/trump-tpp-things-to-know/|title=Trump's TPP withdrawal: 5 things to know|last=Bradner|first=Eric|date=January 23, 2017|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=March 12, 2018}}</ref> imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/mar/10/war-over-steel-trump-tips-global-trade-turmoil-tariffs|title=The war over steel: Trump tips global trade into new turmoil|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=March 10, 2018|access-date=March 15, 2018|last=Inman|first=Phillip}}</ref> and launched a [[China–United States trade war|trade war with China]] by sharply increasing tariffs on 818 categories (worth $50&nbsp;billion) of Chinese goods imported into the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-ministry/trump-sets-tariffs-on-50-billion-in-chinese-goods-beijing-strikes-back-idUSKBN1JB0KC|title=Trump sets tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods; Beijing strikes back|date=June 15, 2018|access-date=October 3, 2021|work=[[Reuters]]|first1=David|last1=Lawder|first2=Ben|last2=Blanchard}}</ref> While Trump said that import tariffs are paid by China into the [[U.S. Treasury]], they are paid by American companies that import goods from China.<ref>{{cite web|last=Singh|first=Rajesh Kumar|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-tariffs-explainer-idUSKCN1UR5YZ|title=Explainer: Trump's China tariffs – Paid by U.S. importers, not by China|work=[[Reuters]]|date=August 2, 2019|access-date=November 27, 2022}}</ref> Although he pledged during the campaign to significantly reduce the U.S.'s large [[trade deficits]], the trade deficit in July 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, "was the largest monthly deficit since July 2008".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/dd93ecd3cafc5df88a8f9f4a61693b07|work=[[AP News]]|title=US trade deficit surges in July to highest in 12 years|date=September 3, 2020|access-date=October 3, 2021|first=Martin|last=Crutsinger}}</ref> Following a 2017&ndash;2018 renegotiation, the [[United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement]] (USMCA) became effective in July 2020 as the successor to NAFTA.<ref>{{cite web|last=Rodriguez|first=Sabrina|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/24/north-american-trade-deal-to-take-effect-on-july-1-207402|title=North American trade deal to take effect on July 1|date=April 24, 2020|access-date=January 31, 2022|work=[[Politico]]}}</ref>

==== Russia ====
[[File:President Trump at the G20 (48144047611).jpg|thumb|Putin and Trump shaking hands at the [[2019 G20 Osaka summit|G20 Osaka summit]], June 2019|alt=Trump and Putin, both seated, lean over and shake hands]]
The Trump administration, according to ''Reuters'', "water[ed] down the toughest penalties the U.S. had imposed on Russian entities" after its [[2014 annexation of Crimea]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Patricia|last=Zengerle|title=Bid to keep U.S. sanctions on Russia's Rusal fails in Senate|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-sanctions/bid-to-keep-u-s-sanctions-on-russias-rusal-fails-in-senate-idUSKCN1PA2JB|work=[[Reuters]]|date=January 16, 2019|access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Jeanne|last=Whalen|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/01/16/rare-rebuke-trump-administration-some-gop-lawmakers-advance-measure-oppose-lifting-russian-sanctions/|title=In rare rebuke of Trump administration, some GOP lawmakers advance measure to oppose lifting Russian sanctions|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 15, 2019|access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref> Trump withdrew the U.S. from the [[Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty]], citing alleged Russian non-compliance,<ref>{{cite web|first=Shannon|last=Bugos|title=U.S. Completes INF Treaty Withdrawal|url=https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2019-09/news/us-completes-inf-treaty-withdrawal|website=[[Arms Control Association]]|date=September 2019|access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref> and supported a potential return of Russia to the [[G7]].<ref name="G8">{{cite web|last=Panetta|first=Grace|date=June 14, 2018|title=Trump reportedly claimed to leaders at the G7 that Crimea is part of Russia because everyone there speaks Russian|work=[[Business Insider]]|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-claims-crimea-is-part-of-russia-since-people-speak-russian-g7-summit-2018-6|access-date=February 13, 2020}}</ref>

Trump repeatedly praised and rarely criticized Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Baker|first=Peter|author-link=Peter Baker (journalist)|date=August 10, 2017|title=Trump Praises Putin Instead of Critiquing Cuts to U.S. Embassy Staff|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/10/world/europe/putin-trump-embassy-russia.html|access-date=June 7, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Nussbaum|first=Matthew|date=April 8, 2018|access-date=October 5, 2021|title=Trump blames Putin for backing 'Animal Assad'|work=[[Politico]]|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/08/trump-putin-syria-attack-508223}}</ref> but opposed some actions of the Russian government.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nord Stream 2: Trump approves sanctions on Russia gas pipeline|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50875935|work=[[BBC News]]|date=December 21, 2019|access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Trump expelling 60 Russian diplomats in wake of UK nerve agent attack|url=https://cnn.com/2018/03/26/politics/us-expel-russian-diplomats/|work=[[CNN]]|first1=Jeremy|last1=Diamond|author-link1=Jeremy Diamond|first2=Allie|last2=Malloy|first3=Angela|last3=Dewan|date=March 26, 2018|access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref> After he met Putin at the [[2018 Russia–United States summit|Helsinki Summit]] in 2018, Trump drew bipartisan criticism for accepting Putin's denial of [[Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election]], rather than accepting the findings of U.S. intelligence agencies.<ref>{{cite web|last=Zurcher|first=Anthony|title=Trump-Putin summit: After Helsinki, the fallout at home|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44830012|access-date=July 18, 2018|work=[[BBC]]|date=July 16, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/07/trump-putin/565238/|title=Trump Sides With the Kremlin, Against the U.S. Government|last=Calamur|first=Krishnadev|date=July 16, 2018|work=[[The Atlantic]]|access-date=July 18, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cnn.com/2018/07/16/politics/congress-reaction-trump-putin-comments/|title=Top Republicans in Congress break with Trump over Putin comments|last=Fox|first=Lauren|date=July 16, 2018|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=July 18, 2018}}</ref> Trump did not discuss alleged [[Russian bounty program|Russian bounties]] offered to [[Taliban]] fighters for attacking American soldiers in [[Afghanistan]] with Putin, saying both that he doubted the intelligence and that he was not briefed on it.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Savage|first1=Charlie|author-link1=Charlie Savage (author)|last2=Schmitt|first2=Eric|author-link2=Eric P. Schmitt|last3=Schwirtz|first3=Michael|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/07/us/politics/russian-bounties-nsc.html|title=Russian Spy Team Left Traces That Bolstered C.I.A.'s Bounty Judgment|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 17, 2021 |access-date=March 4, 2022}}</ref>

==== China ====
Before and during his presidency, Trump repeatedly accused China of taking unfair advantage of the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-idUSKCN1UX1WO|title=Trump says China is 'killing us with unfair trade deals'|date=August 7, 2019|work=[[Reuters]]|access-date=August 24, 2019|first1=Nandita|last1=Bose|first2=Andrea|last2=Shalal}}</ref> As president, Trump [[China–United States trade war|launched a trade war against China]] that was widely characterized as a failure,<ref>{{cite web|title=More pain than gain: How the US-China trade war hurt America|last1=Hass|first1=Ryan|last2=Denmark|first2=Abraham|url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2020/08/07/more-pain-than-gain-how-the-us-china-trade-war-hurt-america/|publisher=[[Brookings Institution]]|date=August 7, 2020 |access-date=October 4, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=How China Won Trump's Trade War and Got Americans to Foot the Bill|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-11/how-china-won-trump-s-good-and-easy-to-win-trade-war|work=[[Bloomberg News]]|date=January 11, 2021 |access-date=October 4, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Disis|first=Jill|url=https://cnn.com/2020/10/24/economy/us-china-trade-war-intl-hnk/|title=Trump promised to win the trade war with China. He failed|work=[[CNN]]|date=October 25, 2020|access-date=October 3, 2022}}</ref> sanctioned [[Huawei]] for alleged ties to Iran,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2019/05/21/huawei-why-facing-sanctions-and-who-get-hurt-most/3750738002/|title=Huawei sanctions: Who gets hurt in dispute?|work=[[USA Today]]|date=May 21, 2019|access-date=August 24, 2019|first1=Frank|last1=Bajak|first2=Michael|last2=Liedtke}}</ref> significantly increased visa restrictions on Chinese students and scholars,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://time.com/5600299/donald-trump-china-trade-war-students/|title=Trump's Trade War Targets Chinese Students at Elite U.S. Schools|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=June 3, 2019|access-date=August 24, 2019}}</ref> and classified China as a [[currency manipulator]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/06/trade-war-china-responds-to-us-after-claim-of-being-a-currency-manipulator.html|title=China responds to US after Treasury designates Beijing a 'currency manipulator'|last=Meredith|first=Sam|date=August 6, 2019|work=[[CNBC]]|access-date=August 6, 2019}}</ref> Trump also juxtaposed verbal attacks on China with praise of [[Chinese Communist Party]] leader [[Xi Jinping]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Sink|first=Justin|date=April 11, 2018|access-date=October 5, 2021|title=Trump Praises China's Xi's Trade Speech, Easing Tariff Tensions|work=[[IndustryWeek]]|url=https://www.industryweek.com/the-economy/article/22025453/trump-praises-chinas-xis-trade-speech-easing-tariff-tensions}}</ref> which was attributed to trade war negotiations.<ref>{{cite news|last=Nakamura|first=David|author-link=David Nakamura|date=August 23, 2019|title=Amid trade war, Trump drops pretense of friendship with China's Xi Jinping, calls him an 'enemy'|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/amid-trade-war-trump-drops-pretense-of-friendship-with-chinas-xi-jinping-calls-him-an-enemy/2019/08/23/2063e80e-c5bb-11e9-b5e4-54aa56d5b7ce_story.html|access-date=October 25, 2020}}</ref> After initially praising China for [[Chinese government response to COVID-19|its handling of COVID-19]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Ward|first=Myah|date=April 15, 2020|access-date=October 5, 2021|title=15 times Trump praised China as coronavirus was spreading across the globe|work=[[Politico]]|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/15/trump-china-coronavirus-188736}}</ref> he began a campaign of criticism starting in March 2020.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Jeff|last1=Mason|first2=Matt|last2=Spetalnick|first3=Alexandra|last3=Alper|date=March 18, 2020|title=Trump ratchets up criticism of China over coronavirus|work=[[Reuters]]|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-china-idUSKBN2153N5|access-date=October 25, 2020}}</ref>

Trump said he resisted punishing China for [[Human rights in China|its human rights abuses]] against ethnic minorities in the [[Xinjiang]] region for fear of jeopardizing trade negotiations.<ref>{{cite web|title=Trump held off sanctioning Chinese over Uighurs to pursue trade deal|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53138833|work=[[BBC News]]|date=June 22, 2020|access-date=October 5, 2021}}</ref> In July 2020, [[United States sanctions|the Trump administration imposed sanctions]] and visa restrictions against senior Chinese officials, in response to expanded mass [[Xinjiang re-education camps|detention camps]] holding more than a million of the country's [[Uyghurs|Uyghur]] minority.<ref>{{cite web|title=U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Chinese Officials Over Mass Detention of Muslims|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/09/world/asia/trump-china-sanctions-uighurs.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 9, 2020|access-date=October 5, 2021|first1=Pranshu|last1=Verma|first2=Edward|last2=Wong|author-link2=Edward Wong}}</ref>

==== North Korea ====
{{See also|2018–19 Korean peace process}}
[[File:Kim and Trump shaking hands at the red carpet during the DPRK–USA Singapore Summit.jpg|thumb|Trump meets [[Kim Jong Un]] at [[2018 North Korea–United States Singapore Summit|the Singapore summit]], June 2018.|alt=Trump and Kim shake hands on a stage with U.S. and North Korean flags in the background]]

In 2017, when [[North Korea's nuclear weapons]] were increasingly seen as a serious threat,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Taylor|first1=Adam|last2=Meko|first2=Tim|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/12/21/what-made-north-koreas-weapons-programs-so-much-scarier-in-2017/|title=What made North Korea's weapons programs so much scarier in 2017|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=December 21, 2017|access-date=July 5, 2019}}</ref> Trump escalated his rhetoric, warning that North Korean aggression would be met with "fire and fury like the world has never seen".<ref name=Windrem>{{cite web|last1=Windrem|first1=Robert|last2=Siemaszko|first2=Corky|last3=Arkin|first3=Daniel|date=May 2, 2017|title=North Korea crisis: How events have unfolded under Trump|work=[[NBC News]]|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/north-korea-crisis-how-events-have-unfolded-under-trump-n753996|access-date=June 8, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Borger|first=Julian|author-link=Julian Borger|title=Donald Trump threatens to 'totally destroy' North Korea in UN speech|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/sep/19/donald-trump-threatens-totally-destroy-north-korea-un-speech|access-date=June 8, 2020|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=September 19, 2017}}</ref> In 2017, Trump declared that he wanted North Korea's "complete denuclearization", and engaged in [[name-calling]] with leader [[Kim Jong Un]].<ref name=Windrem/><ref>{{cite web|last=McCausland|first=Phil|title=Kim Jong Un Calls President Trump 'Dotard' and 'Frightened Dog'|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/north-korea-s-kim-jong-un-calls-president-trump-frightened-n803631|access-date=June 8, 2020|work=[[NBC News]]|date=September 22, 2017}}</ref>

After this period of tension, Trump and Kim exchanged at least 27 letters in which the two men described a warm personal friendship.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cnn.com/2020/09/09/politics/transcripts-kim-jong-un-letters-trump/|work=[[CNN]]|date=September 9, 2020|access-date=October 5, 2021|title=Transcript: Kim Jong Un's letters to President Trump}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title='A magical force': New Trump-Kim letters provide window into their 'special friendship'|date=September 9, 2020|access-date=October 5, 2021|first1=Jamie|last1=Gangel|author-link1=Jamie Gangel|first2=Jeremy|last2=Herb|work=[[CNN]]|url=https://cnn.com/2020/09/09/politics/kim-jong-un-trump-letters-rage-book/}}</ref> Trump met Kim three times: [[2018 North Korea–United States Singapore Summit|in Singapore]] in 2018, [[2019 North Korea–United States Hanoi Summit|in Hanoi]] in 2019, and [[2019 Koreas–United States DMZ Summit|in the Korean Demilitarized Zone]] in 2019.<ref name=StepsInto>{{cite web|first1=Peter|last1=Baker|author-link1=Peter Baker (journalist)|first2=Michael|last2=Crowley|author-link2=Michael Crowley (journalist)|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/30/world/asia/trump-north-korea-dmz.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 30, 2019|access-date=October 5, 2021|title=Trump Steps Into North Korea and Agrees With Kim Jong-un to Resume Talks}}</ref> Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to meet a North Korean leader or set foot on North Korean soil.<ref name=StepsInto /> Trump also lifted some U.S. [[sanctions against North Korea]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/22/world/asia/north-korea-sanctions.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=March 22, 2019|access-date=September 30, 2021|title=Trump Overrules Own Experts on Sanctions, in Favor to North Korea|first=Alan|last=Rappeport|author-link=Alan Rappeport}}</ref>

However, no [[denuclearization]] agreement was reached,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/12/world/asia/korea-nuclear-trump-kim.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 12, 2020|access-date=October 5, 2021|title=Two Years After Trump-Kim Meeting, Little to Show for Personal Diplomacy|first1=David E.|last1=Sanger|author-link1=David E. Sanger|first2=Choe|last2=Sang-Hun|author-link2=Choe Sang-hun}}</ref> and talks in October 2019 broke down after one day.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-us-news-ap-top-news-north-korea-vietnam-c66474b67b3e41cdad6d21ba3385ddc2|title=North Korea Says Nuclear Talks Break Down While U.S. Says They Were 'Good'|first1=Jari|last1=Tanner|first2=Matthew|last2=Lee|work=[[Associated Press]]|date=October 5, 2019 |access-date=July 21, 2021}}</ref> While conducting no nuclear tests since 2017, North Korea continued to build up its arsenal of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kim Jong Un's Nuclear Weapons Got More Dangerous Under Trump|first=Jon|last=Herskovitz|work=[[Bloomberg News]]|date=December 28, 2020|access-date=October 5, 2021|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-28/four-ways-kim-jong-un-got-more-dangerous-under-trump-sanctions}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/trump-kim-north-korea-nuclear/2020/09/30/2b7305c8-032b-11eb-b7ed-141dd88560ea_story.html|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=October 5, 2021|date=September 30, 2020|title=As Kim wooed Trump with 'love letters', he kept building his nuclear capability, intelligence shows|last1=Warrick|first1=Joby|author-link1=Joby Warrick|last2=Denyer|first2=Simon|author-link2=Simon Denyer}}</ref>

==== Afghanistan ====
[[File:Secretary Pompeo Meets With the Taliban Delegation (50333305012).jpg|thumb|U.S. Secretary of State [[Mike Pompeo]] meeting with Taliban delegation in [[Qatar]] in September 2020|alt=U.S. and Taliban officials stand spaced apart in a formal room]]
U.S. troop numbers in [[Afghanistan]] increased from 8,500 in January 2017 to 14,000 a year later,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Jaffe|first1=Greg|last2=Ryan|first2=Missy|date=January 21, 2018|access-date=October 4, 2021|title=Up to 1,000 more U.S. troops could be headed to Afghanistan this spring|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/up-to-1000-more-us-troops-could-be-headed-to-afghanistan-this-spring/2018/01/21/153930b6-fd1b-11e7-a46b-a3614530bd87_story.html|author-link2=Missy Ryan}}</ref> reversing Trump's pre-election position critical of further involvement in Afghanistan.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gordon|first1=Michael R.|last2=Schmitt|first2=Eric|last3=Haberman|first3=Maggie|date=August 20, 2017|access-date=October 4, 2021|title=Trump Settles on Afghan Strategy Expected to Raise Troop Levels|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/20/world/asia/trump-afghanistan-strategy-mattis.html|author-link1=Michael R. Gordon|author-link2=Eric P. Schmitt|author-link3=Maggie Haberman}}</ref> In February 2020, the Trump administration signed a conditional [[Afghan peace process|peace agreement with the Taliban]], which called for the [[Withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan (2021)|withdrawal of foreign troops]] in 14 months "contingent on a guarantee from the Taliban that Afghan soil will not be used by terrorists with aims to attack the United States or its allies" and for the U.S. to seek the release of 5,000 [[Taliban]] imprisoned by the Afghan government.<ref>{{cite news|last1=George|first1=Susannah|last2=Dadouch|first2=Sarah|last3=Lamothe|first3=Dan|date=February 29, 2020|access-date=October 4, 2021|title=U.S. signs peace deal with Taliban agreeing to full withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/afghanistan-us-taliban-peace-deal-signing/2020/02/29/b952fb04-5a67-11ea-8efd-0f904bdd8057_story.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Mashal|first=Mujib|date=February 29, 2020|title=Taliban and U.S. Strike Deal to Withdraw American Troops From Afghanistan|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/29/world/asia/us-taliban-deal.html|access-date=December 29, 2020}}</ref><ref name="5,000">{{cite web|last1=Kiely|first1=Eugene|last2=Farley|first2=Robert|url=https://www.factcheck.org/2021/08/timeline-of-u-s-withdrawal-from-afghanistan/|title=Timeline of U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan|work=[[FactCheck.org]]|date=August 17, 2021 |access-date=August 31, 2021}}</ref> By the end of Trump's term, 5,000 Taliban had been released, and, despite the Taliban continuing attacks on Afghan forces and integrating [[Al-Qaeda]] members into its leadership, U.S. troops had been reduced to 2,500.<ref name="5,000" />

==== Israel ====
Trump supported many of the policies of Israeli Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Sommer|first=Allison Kaplan|date=July 25, 2019|title=How Trump and Netanyahu Became Each Other's Most Effective Political Weapon|work=[[Haaretz]]|url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-how-trump-and-netanyahu-became-each-other-s-most-effective-political-weapon-1.7569757|access-date=August 2, 2019}}</ref> Under Trump, the U.S. [[United States recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel|recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel]]<ref>{{cite web|last1=Nelson|first1=Louis|last2=Nussbaum|first2=Matthew|date=December 6, 2017|title=Trump says U.S. recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital, despite global condemnation|work=[[Politico]]|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/06/trump-move-embassy-jerusalem-israel-reaction-281973|access-date=December 6, 2017}}</ref> and [[United States recognition of the Golan Heights as part of Israel|Israeli sovereignty]] over the [[Golan Heights]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Romo|first=Vanessa|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/03/25/706588932/trump-formally-recognizes-israeli-sovereignty-over-golan-heights?t=1617622343037|title=Trump Formally Recognizes Israeli Sovereignty Over Golan Heights|work=[[NPR]]|date=March 25, 2019 |access-date=April 5, 2021}}</ref> leading to international condemnation including from the [[United Nations General Assembly]], the [[European Union]], and the [[Arab League]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gladstone|first1=Rick|last2=Landler|first2=Mark|author-link2=Mark Landler|date=December 21, 2017|title=Defying Trump, U.N. General Assembly Condemns U.S. Decree on Jerusalem|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/21/world/middleeast/trump-jerusalem-united-nations.html|access-date=December 21, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Huet|first=Natalie|date=March 22, 2019|access-date=October 4, 2021|title=Outcry as Trump backs Israeli sovereignty over Golan Heights|work=[[Euronews]]|agency=[[Reuters]]|url=https://www.euronews.com/2019/03/22/outcry-as-trump-backs-israeli-sovereignty-over-golan-heights}}</ref> In 2020, the White House hosted the signing of the [[Abraham Accords]], normalizing the foreign relations of Israel with the [[United Arab Emirates]] and [[Bahrain]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Crowley|first=Michael|author-link=Michael Crowley (journalist)|date=September 15, 2020|title=Israel, U.A.E. and Bahrain Sign Accords, With an Eager Trump Playing Host|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/15/us/politics/trump-israel-peace-emirates-bahrain.html|access-date=February 9, 2024}}</ref>

==== Saudi Arabia ====
[[File:Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, King Salman of Saudi Arabia, Melania Trump, and Donald Trump, May 2017.jpg|thumb|Trump, King [[Salman of Saudi Arabia]], and Egyptian president [[Abdel Fattah el-Sisi]] at the [[2017 Riyadh summit]] in Saudi Arabia|alt=Trump, King Salman of Saudi Arabia, and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi place their hands on a glowing white orb light at waist level]]

Trump actively supported the [[Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen]] against the [[Houthis]] and in 2017 signed a $110&nbsp;billion agreement to sell arms to [[Saudi Arabia]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Phelps|first1=Jordyn|last2=Struyk|first2=Ryan|date=May 20, 2017|title=Trump signs $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia on 'a tremendous day'|work=[[ABC News]]|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-signs-110-billion-arms-deal-saudi-arabia/story?id=47531180|access-date=July 6, 2018}}</ref> In 2018, the U.S. provided limited intelligence and logistical support for the intervention.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Holland|first1=Steve|last2=Bayoumy|first2=Yara|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-saudi-idUSKBN1GW2CA|title=Trump praises U.S. military sales to Saudi as he welcomes crown prince|work=[[Reuters]]|date=March 20, 2018|access-date=June 2, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-saudi-whitehouse-idUSKBN1GX1PP/|first1=Doina|last1=Chiacu|first2=Idrees|last2=Ali|title=Trump, Saudi leader discuss Houthi 'threat' in Yemen: White House|work=[[Reuters]]|date=March 21, 2018|access-date=June 2, 2021}}</ref> Following the [[Abqaiq–Khurais attack|2019 attack on Saudi oil facilities]], which the U.S. and Saudi Arabia blamed on [[Iran]], Trump approved the deployment of 3,000 additional U.S. troops, including fighter squadrons, two [[MIM-104 Patriot|Patriot batteries]], and a [[Terminal High Altitude Area Defense]] system, to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Stewart|first1=Phil|last2=Ali|first2=Idrees|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-aramco-attacks-exclusive-idUSKBN1WQ21Z/ |title=U.S. says deploying more forces to Saudi Arabia to counter Iran threat|work=[[Reuters]]|date=October 11, 2019 |access-date=October 4, 2021}}</ref>

==== Syria ====
[[File:President Trump and President Erdoğan joint statement in the Roosevelt Room, May 16, 2017.jpg|thumb|Trump and Turkish president [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]] at the White House in May 2017]]

Trump ordered [[2017 Shayrat missile strike|missile strikes in April 2017]] and [[2018 missile strikes against Syria|April 2018]] against the Assad regime in Syria, in retaliation for the [[Khan Shaykhun chemical attack|Khan Shaykhun]] and [[Douma chemical attack]]s, respectively.<ref>{{cite web|title=Syria war: Trump's missile strike attracts US praise – and barbs|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39529605|access-date=April 8, 2017|work=[[BBC News]]|date=April 7, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-strikes-syria-after-suspected-chemical-attack-by-assad-regime|first=Kathleen|last=Joyce|title=US strikes Syria after suspected chemical attack by Assad regime|date=April 14, 2018|work=[[Fox News]] |access-date=April 14, 2018}}</ref>
In December 2018, Trump declared "we have won against ISIS", contradicting Department of Defense assessments, and ordered the withdrawal of all troops from Syria.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/19/us/politics/trump-syria-turkey-troop-withdrawal.html|title=Trump withdraws U.S. Forces From Syria, Declaring 'We Have Won Against ISIS'|first1=Mark|last1=Landler|author-link1=Mark Landler|first2=Helene|last2=Cooper|author-link2=Helene Cooper|first3=Eric|last3=Schmitt|author-link3=Eric P. Schmitt|date=December 19, 2018|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=December 31, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Borger|first1=Julian|author-link1=Julian Borger|last2=Chulov|first2=Martin|title=Trump shocks allies and advisers with plan to pull US troops out of Syria|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/19/us-troops-syria-withdrawal-trump|access-date=December 20, 2018|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=December 20, 2018}}</ref> The next day, Mattis resigned in protest, calling his decision an abandonment of the U.S.'s [[Rojava|Kurdish allies]] who played a key role in fighting ISIS.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cooper|first=Helene|author-link=Helene Cooper|title=Jim Mattis, Defense Secretary, Resigns in Rebuke of Trump's Worldview|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/us/politics/jim-mattis-defense-secretary-trump.html|access-date=December 21, 2018|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 20, 2018}}</ref> In October 2019, after Trump spoke to Turkish president [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]], [[American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War|U.S. troops in northern Syria]] were withdrawn from the area and Turkey [[2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria|invaded northern Syria]], attacking and [[Forced displacement|displacing]] American-allied [[Kurds in Syria|Kurds]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=McKernan|first1=Bethan|last2=Borger|first2=Julian|last3=Sabbagh|first3=Dan|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/09/turkey-launches-military-operation-in-northern-syria-erdogan|title=Turkey launches military operation in northern Syria|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=October 9, 2019 |access-date=September 28, 2021}}</ref> Later that month, the U.S. House of Representatives, in a rare bipartisan vote of 354 to 60, condemned Trump's withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, for "abandoning U.S. allies, undermining the struggle against ISIS, and spurring a humanitarian catastrophe".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/16/house-condemns-trumps-syria-pull-out-000286|title=House condemns Trump's Syria withdrawal|last=O'Brien|first=Connor|date=October 16, 2019|work=[[Politico]]|access-date=October 17, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/us/politics/house-vote-trump-syria.html|title=In Bipartisan Rebuke, House Majority Condemns Trump for Syria Withdrawal|last=Edmondson|first=Catie|date=October 16, 2019|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=October 17, 2019}}</ref>

==== Iran ====
In May 2018, Trump [[United States withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action|withdrew the U.S.]] from the [[Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action]], the 2015 agreement that lifted most economic sanctions against Iran in return for Iran agreeing to restrictions on its nuclear program.<ref name="AP180508">{{cite web|last1=Lederman|first1=Josh|last2=Lucey|first2=Catherine|date=May 8, 2018|title=Trump declares US leaving 'horrible' Iran nuclear accord|work=[[Associated Press]]|url=https://apnews.com/article/cead755353a1455bbef08ef289448994/Trump-decides-to-exit-nuclear-accord-with-Iran|access-date=May 8, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/08/world/middleeast/trump-iran-nuclear-deal.html|title=Trump Abandons Iran Nuclear Deal He Long Scorned|first=Mark|last=Landler|author-link=Mark Landler|date=May 8, 2018|access-date=October 4, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> In August 2020, the Trump administration unsuccessfully attempted to use a section of the nuclear deal to have the UN reimpose sanctions against Iran.<ref>{{cite web|last=Nichols|first=Michelle|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-nuclear-un-idUSKBN2AI2Y9|title=U.S. rescinds Trump White House claim that all U.N. sanctions had been reimposed on Iran|work=[[Reuters]]|date=February 18, 2021 |access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref> Analysts determined that, after the U.S. withdrawal, Iran moved closer to developing a nuclear weapon.<ref name="close">{{cite web|last=Hennigan|first=W.J.|title='They're Very Close.' U.S. General Says Iran Is Nearly Able to Build a Nuclear Weapon|url=https://time.com/6123380/iran-near-nuclear-weapon-capability/|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=November 24, 2021 |access-date=December 18, 2021}}</ref>

On January 1, 2020, Trump ordered [[Assassination of Qasem Soleimani|a U.S. airstrike]] that killed Iranian general [[Qasem Soleimani]], who had planned nearly every significant operation by Iranian forces over the past two decades.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/02/world/middleeast/qassem-soleimani-iraq-iran-attack.html|title=U.S. Strike in Iraq Kills Qassim Suleimani, Commander of Iranian Forces|last1=Crowley|first1=Michael|author-link1=Michael Crowley (journalist)|last2=Hassan|first2=Falih|last3=Schmitt|first3=Eric|author-link3=Eric P. Schmitt|date=January 2, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=January 3, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Baker|first1=Peter|author-link1=Peter Baker (journalist)|last2=Bergman|first2=Ronen|author-link2=Ronen Bergman|last3=Kirkpatrick|first3=David D.|author-link3=David D. Kirkpatrick|last4=Barnes|first4=Julian E.|last5=Rubin|first5=Alissa J.|author-link5=Alissa J. Rubin|date=January 11, 2020|title=Seven Days in January: How Trump Pushed U.S. and Iran to the Brink of War|website=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/11/us/politics/iran-trump.html |access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref> Trump threatened to hit 52 Iranian sites if Iran retaliated.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Daniel|first1=Douglas K.|last2=Lemire|first2=Jonathan|url=https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-donald-trump-nancy-pelosi-ap-top-news-international-news-75944e42ccc66ac08ee5122e080d7f33|title=Trump says 52 targets already lined up if Iran retaliates|work=[[Associated Press]]|date=January 5, 2020 |access-date=November 3, 2022}}</ref> On January 8, Iran retaliated with [[Operation Martyr Soleimani|ballistic missile strikes against two U.S. airbases]] in Iraq. Dozens of soldiers sustained traumatic brain injuries. Their injuries were downplayed by Trump, and they were initially denied [[Purple Heart]]s and the special benefits accorded to its recipients.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Horton|first1=Alex|last2=Lamothe|first2=Dan|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2021/12/08/purple-heart-iran-missile-attack/|title=Army awards more Purple Hearts for troops hurt in Iranian attack that Trump downplayed|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=December 8, 2021|access-date=November 8, 2021}}</ref><ref name="close"/> On the same day, amid the heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, Iran accidentally shot down [[Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752]] after takeoff from Tehran airport.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ward|first=Alex|title=Evidence is mounting that Iran accidentally shot down the Ukraine flight|website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|date=January 9, 2020|url=https://www.vox.com/2020/1/9/21059004/iran-plane-crash-missile-video-trump-ukraine|access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref>{{relevance inline|date=March 2024}}