The discussion highlights the close connection between the Trump administration's foreign policy and domestic politics, emphasizing the trend of "domestic politics driving foreign policy." Trump's "America First 2.0" strategic objectives were tightly aligned with voter preferences and interests during critical policy windows, reinforcing the overarching integration of foreign policy and domestic politics. This endogenous foreign policy model blurs the traditional boundaries between domestic politics and foreign policy, shaping the political narrative of domestic issues and the strategic logic of foreign policy. The author treats domestic politics as a key perspective for studying foreign strategy, aiming to provide an explanatory and forward-looking analytical framework for the strategic direction of Trump's second-term foreign policy.

I. The Strategic Implications of "America First 2.0"

"America First 2.0" is the foreign strategy of Trump's second term, encompassing two interrelated concepts: strategic thought and policy agenda. The strategic orientation is nationalist populism, rooted in the Jacksonian tradition of foreign policy thought, emphasizing economic and physical security, rejecting international cooperation, and prioritizing military strength. The strategic subjects are the U.S. and its people, involving relations between the U.S. and other nations, between native citizens and immigrants, and racial and class relations among American citizens. The strategic practice logic manifests as the "externalization of domestic politics," where foreign policy becomes a tool to consolidate voter support, express political demands, and target political opponents, heavily reliant on executive orders to politicize foreign issues. The strategic goal is to build upon "Make America Great Again" and lead the U.S. into a "golden age," pursuing national self-integration and the construction of a shared national destiny, characterized by offensiveness and cohesion.

II. Three Key Foreign Policies of "America First 2.0"

Trump's "America First 2.0" foreign strategy represents a continuation and upgrade of domestic and foreign policies, particularly emphasizing three diplomatic priorities: immigration security, trade adjustment, and energy dominance. On immigration, the Trump administration adopted hardline measures, including enhanced border security, strict immigration vetting, and restrictions on deportation exemptions for illegal immigrants, while terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for certain countries and potentially increasing barriers to asylum. On trade, the administration made protectionism the core of its economic strategy, raising tariff barriers to shield domestic manufacturing and using tariffs as political leverage to extract concessions from trade partners in non-economic areas. On energy, "energy dominance" served as the strategic pivot, promoting fossil fuels, restricting clean energy investment and development, and establishing specialized committees to coordinate energy strategy, aiming to reduce reliance on foreign energy and position the U.S. as a net energy exporter. These policies reflect the Trump administration's cohesive foreign strategy and its prioritization of homeland security, economic sovereignty, and energy independence.

III. Domestic Political Considerations in "America First 2.0" Foreign Policy

The formulation of U.S. foreign strategy is deeply influenced by domestic political dynamics, and Trump's "America First 2.0" is no exception. The policy is constrained by domestic governance challenges and political pressures, including partisan gridlock in federal governance, identity anxiety and resentment among the white working and middle classes, and the growing influence of MAGA Republicans within the party. Structural dilemmas—such as political institutional rigidity, economic imbalances, and social divisions—have led to systemic governance failures, particularly in immigration, trade, and energy. While these issues originate domestically, the federal government's inability to address them has turned foreign policy into an outlet for domestic pressures. As a result, foreign policy exhibits cohesion and politicization, clashing with the diplomatic stances of Democratic administrations.

Immigration is highly politically sensitive and socially salient, driven by rising immigration numbers and inconsistent policies. The U.S. has seen year-on-year increases in immigrant populations, growth in foreign-born residents, and, for the first time, sustained rises in illegal immigration. Partisan divides on immigration governance have caused systemic dysfunction. Economic anxieties, especially over wealth inequality, exacerbate voter concerns. Wealth disparity is a chronic issue in American society, with structural imbalances further entrenched under neoliberal economic policies. Despite both Trump and Biden advocating for manufacturing reshoring, tangible results remain limited. Energy has become a highly contentious issue, with Republicans supporting fossil fuel expansion and Democrats backing renewables.

"America First 2.0" responds to the pessimism and deep-seated fears of the white working and middle classes by simplifying international relations into a narrative of protecting their interests, satisfying their desire to retaliate against "foreign adversaries" and the elite. This foreign policy, driven by white identity crisis and revanchist sentiment, erodes American rationalism, reshaping it with populist emotional logic and prioritizing confrontation over reason. White revanchism stems from perceived deprivation and retaliatory political psychology, with populist and nativist demands to reclaim privileged resources. Its connection to social reality is evident in the rising "deaths of despair" among non-Hispanic whites.

The MAGA faction has crafted a governance logic of "externalizing domestic politics," blaming globalization and "foreign adversaries" for declining governance efficacy and white working-class insecurity, then relying on foreign policy to address these challenges. MAGA's growing influence is reshaping Republican personnel and power structures. Its strategy attributes domestic struggles to external threats, shifting governance focus inward by implementing border controls, trade protectionism, and reducing energy dependence. This political mobilization fuels voter discontent and engagement through narratives of "external threats."

IV. Conclusion

The Trump administration's "America First 2.0" foreign strategy maintains ideological and strategic continuity with "America First 1.0" but upgrades its methods and elevates its goals, shifting focus to proactively shaping future order and offensive actions. The externalization of domestic politics has become a governance logic, with foreign policy used to channel populist and conservative demands, frame friend-foe dichotomies, and empower Trump's second-term consolidation of power. This integrated domestic-foreign strategy transforms "America First" from a slogan into deep policy arrangements and comprehensive strategic deployment, marked by centralized executive power, tight domestic-foreign coupling, and accelerated policy execution. In the post-Cold War era, domestic factors increasingly explain foreign policy, with the Trump administration using "external threat" narratives to frame domestic issues, securitizing non-traditional topics within national security paradigms. While this strategy strengthens short-term voter mobilization, it limits diplomatic flexibility and conflict resolution. The administration's obsession with "outcompeting China" and framing it as the "top external adversary" reflects a lack of strategic patience and wisdom, eroding U.S. international credibility. America must improve domestic governance, stabilize its foundations, and restore strategic rationality. Chinese scholars should deepen their focus on U.S. domestic issues, better understanding their pull on foreign policy, to inform China's U.S. policy with precise strategic analysis.