Trump National Security Strategy Proposes Military Pivot to Western Hemisphere and Push to 'Cultivate Resistance' in Europe

White House Releases 33‑Page National Security Strategy

The White House quietly released a 33‑page national security strategy that amplifies President Donald Trump’s “America First” framework and outlines a broad realignment of U.S. foreign policy. The document emphasizes a stepped‑up U.S. role in the Western Hemisphere, a sharply critical posture toward parts of Europe, and a dual‑track approach to China.

Western Hemisphere: Readjustment and Expanded Operations

The strategy calls for a “readjustment” of U.S. military forces in the Western Hemisphere to confront migration, drug trafficking and the growing influence of rival powers. It proposes an expanded Coast Guard and Navy presence and authorizes deployments to “secure the border and defeat cartels, including where necessary the use of lethal force.” The administration frames these measures as a modern “Trump Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine and insists the United States must be “preeminent in the Western Hemisphere as a condition of our security and prosperity.”

The release comes amid operations in international waters that officials say have destroyed at least 23 drug boats and killed 87 people — actions that outside legal experts and some members of Congress have questioned.

Europe: Warning, Influence Operations, and Ukraine

The strategy adopts an unusually confrontational tone toward Europe, warning of potential “economic decline” and even “civilizational erasure.” It speculates that some NATO members could become “majority non‑European” within decades and asks whether those countries would maintain their alliances with the United States.

“The United States must cultivate resistance to Europe’s current trajectory within European nations,” the strategy says. “We want Europe to remain European, to regain its civilizational self‑confidence, and to abandon its failed focus on regulatory suffocation.”

The document argues the war in Ukraine has increased Europe’s external dependencies — especially for Germany — and asserts that many Europeans want peace even where governments have not pursued it. It states that an expeditious cessation of hostilities in Ukraine is a U.S. interest to stabilize European economies, prevent unintended escalation, reestablish strategic stability with Russia, and allow for post‑hostilities reconstruction that preserves Ukraine as a viable state.

European Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho said leaders had not yet had time to review the strategy and were "not in a position to comment." The document also restates the administration’s aim to end the perception — and prevent the reality — of NATO as a perpetually expanding alliance and echoes previous remarks by administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance’s warning in Munich about threats “from within.”

China: Contain Influence, Preserve Economic Ties

The strategy sets out a dual‑track policy on China: contain Beijing’s geopolitical influence while preserving mutually beneficial economic ties under stricter reciprocity. It prioritizes deterring any conflict over Taiwan — ideally by preserving U.S. military overmatch — and calls for reducing U.S. economic dependence on China while seeking “reciprocity and fairness” in trade to sustain projected U.S. economic growth.

Alliances and Diplomacy

Alliances are framed as instrumental tools within a broader approach tied to the president’s unconventional diplomacy. The document describes using military, economic and diplomatic levers to shape outcomes and reduce risks between nuclear‑capable powers.

CNN’s Kaanita Iyer contributed to this report. For more news and newsletters, visit CNN.com.