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Opinion
In the Indo-Pacific, ‘America first’ looks like American unpredictability
The Trump administration’s unclear foreign policy aims are prompting US partners to look beyond security alignment with Washington alone
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Hao Nan is a Susan Strange Associate Fellow with the Helsinki Geoeconomics Society, and a Nuclear Futures Fellow with Ploughshares Fund & Horizon 2045.
Within around 10 days in late May, three top US leaders – US President Donald Trump, US Vice-President J.D. Vance and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth – delivered speeches that together outlined the administration’s evolving foreign policy vision.
Taken separately, each speech reaffirmed the US’ commitment to strength and strategic deterrence. Yet when considered as a whole, they exposed a deep tension at the heart of America’s global posture – especially in the Indo-Pacific. For America’s allies and partners in the region, these mixed messages raise questions about reliability, strategic clarity and long-term alignment.
At West Point on May 24, Trump reiterated his “America first” doctrine, denouncing foreign entanglements and “absurd ideological experiments”. He asserted that under his leadership, the military will refocus on core missions: “crushing America’s adversaries, killing America’s enemies, and defending our great American flag”.
This was paired with an aggressive military posture. Trump emphasised overwhelming strength, boasting of new planes, tanks, drones and the creation of a Golden Dome missile defence shield. For regional allies, this blend of retrenchment and military escalation signals a shift from global stewardship to transactional power projection.
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