The New York Times editorial board accuses President Trump of prioritizing commercial deals over shared democratic values, arguing his approach weakens established military norms and U.S. influence. The paper warns that treating Ukraine and Russia as morally equivalent and seeking profits from the conflict risks forfeiting America’s military edge even as China and Russia grow more threatening. The editorial also highlights ongoing legal and rhetorical clashes between Trump and the Times and urges the U.S. to prepare for a prolonged great-power rivalry.
NYT Editorial: Trump’s Defense Strategy Called 'Deals Over Values' as Times Warns U.S. Is Losing Its Military Edge
The New York Times editorial board sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s handling of military and foreign-policy matters in an opinion piece published Sunday, arguing that his approach risks weakening long-standing norms and U.S. influence abroad.
What the Editorial Says
The Times contends that under Mr. Trump, "well-established rules of engagement have yielded to blowing up small boats on the high seas," and accuses the administration of adopting a posture of moral equivalence between Ukraine and Russia while seeking commercial advantage from the conflict through arms sales and mineral deals. The board wrote that Mr. Trump "believes in cutting deals, not sharing values," and that this deal-driven posture undermines principled alliances.
“Mr. Trump justifies his approach by claiming that the Pentagon needs an entirely different mentality for a new era of great-power rivalry,” the editorial board wrote. “That’s not wrong. China’s rise and Russia’s revanchism mean our security is more threatened today than it has been in decades. But so does the fact the United States has forfeited our military’s edge.”
Context and Response
The editorial is the latest episode in a prolonged exchange between Times leadership and the Trump White House. The paper recalled that the president sued The New York Times earlier this year over its coverage of his first presidential campaign and reporting about alleged ties to Russia; the Times has pledged to defend itself in court. Mr. Trump also criticized the newspaper on his Truth Social platform after it published an extensive report on his aging in office, posting that "the creeps are at it again."
The editorial concludes with a warning about the stakes: if the United States is on the verge of another extended great-power rivalry with authoritarian rivals, it must prepare accordingly and preserve both its military advantages and the values that underpin its alliances. The Times argues that failing to do so risks returning to a world in which dictators can aggress at will, as happened prior to World War II.
