DONALD TRUMP 2.0: MAIN CHALLENGES, STRATEGIC OPTIONS, AND THE “NEW” GRAND STRATEGY OF THE UNITED STATES

NEDELJKOVIĆ Stevan (Assistant Professor, University of Belgrade – Faculty of Political Science, Belgrade, Serbia), stevan.nedeljkovic@fpn.bg.ac.rs
ŽIVOJINOVIĆ Dragan (Research Associate, University of Belgrade – Faculty of Political Science, Belgrade, Serbia), dragan.zivojinovic@fpn.bg.ac.rs

The victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential election of November 5, 2024, has reignited academic debate concerning the future grand strategy of the United States. This paper seeks to contribute to that debate by analysing the current global context and evaluating the strategic options at Washington’s disposal. Specifically, we address two central research questions: first, what strategic options are available to Donald Trump, and second, which grand strategy will likely be chosen by the 47th president of the United States? We argue that, despite the unconventional nature of Trump’s first presidential term, his strategic priorities have remained broadly consistent with those of previous administrations, particularly regarding the preservation of US primacy and the maintenance of a favourable balance of power in key regions—the Indo-Pacific, Europe, and the Persian Gulf. The paper further explores the dominant strategic options available to Trump, including isolationism, offshore balancing, selective engagement, and deep engagement. We predict that Trump is unlikely to significantly alter the grand strategy from his first term, opting instead for selective engagement. Methodologically, the paper employs content analysis, comparative methods, and genealogical analysis to examine Trump’s strategic options within a dynamic global context.

Keywords: Donald Trump; United States; grand strategy; selective engagement; isolationism; offshore balancing; deep engagement.