Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Tuesday.
Joe Raedle / Getty Images
Former President Donald Trump’s pick for running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, will take center stage Wednesday as the focus turns to foreign policy on the third day of the Republican National Convention.
Trump has made it very clear that, if elected, he wants to shake up U.S. foreign policy even more than he did in his first term.
With Vance as his running mate, the two men share a vision on the direction of an evolving Republican party. They have argued that many foreign conflicts have failed to serve U.S. interests.
The choice of the 39-year-old Ohio senator and former Marine already has allies on edge as well as many moderate Republicans who are concerned by how Trump has pulled the Republican party away from its hawkish roots on foreign policy.
Vance has argued against aid for Ukraine
A champion of Trump’s version of populism, Vance has fought against aid for Ukraine, supported talks with Moscow and argues the U.S. needs to compete more with China.
He flew to Germany this February where he delivered what he called a “wake-up call” to Europe about their own security.
"There are a lot of bad guys all over the world, and I'm much more interested in some of the problems in East Asia right now than I am in Europe," Vance said at the Munich Security Conference.
For years, Trump’s been arguing that American allies have been taking advantage of U.S. taxpayers. He has looked to disentangle the United States from world conflicts while focusing on domestic challenges.
Related: Trump names Ohio Sen. JD Vance as vice presidential running mate
Vance is being watched very closely in diplomatic circles as an heir to Trump’s particular brand of isolationism for years to come.
Trump blasted President Biden and his foreign policy priorities, including support for the Paris climate accord.
“One of the most unfair deals,” Trump said during a speech last month at the Turning Point Action Conference in Michigan. “Sounds good, but it was a disaster. And every other globalist disaster that sucked the life and wealth and blood out of our country, and that's what it was doing. But after decades of Joe Biden putting America last, Michigan finally got a president who put America first.”
Trump is selective in who he engages with and how
While Trump and Vance promote an America First approach, that doesn’t translate to blanket isolationism.
He has conflicting approaches to the foreign policy challenges of the day. He is selective in who he decides to engage with in foreign affairs – and how.
While Trump’s critical of western allies, he’s cozied up to authoritarian leaders, like Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Related: Who is J.D. Vance, the Republican nominee for vice president
While NATO leaders were finishing up meetings with Biden during the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., Orbán flew down to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to meet with the former president and discussed the war in Ukraine.
"We discussed ways to make #peace," Orban wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "The good news of the day: he's going to solve it!"
While Trump and his Republican allies have raised concerns about U.S. support for Ukraine, they’ve also pledged increased support for Israel in its war in Gaza.
But Trump’s approach to the wars, as well as his pick for VP, reflect how sharply the Republican party has shifted away from its long-standing support for a muscular foreign policy.
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