Andreas Kluth, Columnist

Reagan’s ‘Peace Through Strength’ Never Looked So Weak

By appeasing external enemies and focusing on internal ones, Trump is undermining America’s military and strategic power.

February 27, 2025 at 5:00 AM UTC

By Andreas Kluth

Andreas Kluth is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering US diplomacy, national security and geopolitics. Previously, he was editor-in-chief of Handelsblatt Global and a writer for the Economist.

Weakness masquerading as strength.
Photographer: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

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Picture two hypothetical presidents: One wants to reform the nation’s military to project maximum lethality and achieve peace through strength. The other is more interested in using the military to wage culture wars and consolidate authoritarian control. How would each go about achieving his goals?

The first would seek strategic and apolitical counsel to ask some basic questions: Who are the nation’s likeliest enemies? How many are there, and could they join forces? Does the military have the necessary resources? Does the nation have the right allies?