In a long interview with La Stampa, American political scientist and historian Robert Kagan, one of the most widely read intellectuals in the US and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, discusses the Trump administration’s domestic and foreign policy, also focusing on the recent events in Minneapolis and the operations in Venezuela.
A simple question prompts Kagan to explain why Stephen Miller has been so involved in operations against Venezuela. Miller is one of the main ideologues of the new Trumpism, a supporter of nationalism and a proponent of tough policies on immigrants, including illegal ones.
He holds the position of deputy chief of staff of the White House for domestic affairs. According to Kagan, the reason why Miller is involved in Venezuela is to create the opportunity to say that the US is in a state of war, even though there is no official declaration. “You just have to read the latest documents of the Department of Justice, where the Venezuelan case is used as a legal basis for deportations,” Kagan explains.
RECENT EVENTS IN THE USA
After what happened in Minneapolis, he says: “What is happening there is the message that Miller and the administration want to convey, it is a big exercise to create such scenes everywhere in the US. The administration has the personnel and agents necessary to act in an emergency climate, as in wartime. I believe, although we cannot predict exactly when, that Donald Trump will one day use the Insurrection Act (a US law that gives the president the authority to use the US Army within the country to suppress uprisings, rebellions or major unrest), in one of the states where ICE operates and where there are protests. Trump is militarizing domestic politics and this also has to do with Venezuela, to justify strong actions even within the country. He has glorified the armed forces and would use them on American soil.”
EUROPE AND FOREIGN POLICY
In the interview, Kagan explains that, according to him, the world order built around America and liberal democracy is over and the US is moving towards autocracy. “He warns European allies that they should have no illusions: some leaders, like Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Merz, understand the situation, while others, like NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, believe that they must cooperate to prevent worse actions by Trump. My message to Europeans is: it’s over. Nothing can be recovered, there is no consultant who can repair this relationship,” says Kagan, adding that this separation is irreversible. “I am not convinced that the 2026 elections or the presidential elections in 2028 will be free and transparent elections. Trump has just begun to sharpen the knife and wants to take the confrontation with Europe to the extreme, to the limits of conflict. Even a Democrat does not change the essence.”
“EVEN A DEMOCRAT DOESN’T CHANGE THE ESSENCE”
According to Kagan, even if a Democrat comes to power, the trends will not change. “The idea that America has not benefited from the support of the world order is not Trump’s invention. There is a bipartisan approach. Biden has also talked about a ‘middle-class foreign policy’ emphasizing that the world order does not serve American interests. The difference is that Trump uses tariffs as a weapon to force countries to do what he wants, while Biden has had a more moderate approach, but the goal is similar.”
A TRUMP DOCTRINE?
Despite some statements remaining on paper, Kagan emphasizes that nothing happens in the US without Trump’s will.
“Many people spend a lot of time trying to please Trump and fulfill his obsessions. He wants fame and money. Although he has distributed a National Security Strategy with the principle of ‘America First’, what he wants is to become the emperor of the world. He says: we will solve this, we will stop the war in Gaza, we will do this in Iran; we will impose tariffs… There is no clear strategic doctrine, but there is an ideology: that of Stephen Miller and ‘America First’, which is based on opposing liberalism. By liberalism we mean individual rights, equality, liberal democracy, and unfortunately, Europe is the symbol of these things and therefore is the main enemy outside the US. Liberals are obstacles at home.”