The New Geopolitical Order and Donald Trump’s Policies: Escalation of Hard Power

Md. Mizanur Rahman | 02 August 2025
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In the 21st Century has glorified transformations in the world politics arena. The Global politics have interpreted several key areas like as power contest, multi-engagement, nationalist revival and international alliances. During the first Donald Trump presidency regime, we had seen the important departure from conventional U.S. foreign policy and circulating America First policy system learned huge on financial coercion, unilateralism and  emphasizes for hard power over diplomatic collaboration .The unipolar situation after Cold-War period dominated by U.S. power vacuum but it has continuously decreased because of the other external competing superpower for instance China, Russia and regional powerful countries like Iran, Turkey, India and weakening of global organisations.In Globalisation Era it has become various stance and much of unifying force which gradually increasing protectionism, technological nationalism and financial decoupling. These powerful transformations have created in the back to great power conflict, tactics collaboration proceed in pragmatic politics and rising military protocols. In this context,all countries are depending on powerful self protecting elements such as strength of military, abilities of cyber security, financial sanctions and forceful external operations rather than soft power tools of cultural impacts and multi-vector diplomacy. President Donald Trump’s authority created on this pragmatism which not fruitful to it but increasing its subject-matter.The America First method was major bottom-line of Trump's foreign policy goal which occasionally recalculated U.S. priorities. It emphasized long term commitments to climate deals, NATO mechanism, multilateralism and world fundamental organisations. Even President Trump liked bilateral ties, cross-sectionaldiplomacy and implemented a zero-sum perspective.Basically, under this doctrine the collaborators were not chanced as sustainable strategic collaborations but calculation through a cost-benefit arena. Donald Trump gradually asked the utility of NATO mechanism, wanted to raised defence costing from partners and instead advised conditional support depend on economical Donations. President Trump Authorities systematic out of multi-layer frameworks own interest serve as a result withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, JCPOA and WHO which fully opposition from soft power formulation.

In the past scenarioof Trump's presidency saw a singed rise in military costing and U.S. armed forces frequently modernizing.In the pentagon financial crossed during his tenure almost $700 billion which focusing priorities like as militarization of space development, promotes to nuclear part and increased abilities of cyber-warfare.The Trump’s hard power tactics was an important layered the use of threats.In the past time 2020, the Iranian General QassemSoleimani inIraqwas killed by drone strike which a key example of traditional diplomacy in kinetic power used. Gradually increased tensions in the middle east and extended regional instability frequently hazards triggering, focusing a desire to cancel caution in like dangerous shock strategy. President Trump Authorities also high volume of arms sales among the authoritarian States such as Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates even overtaking congressional examine. This policy was appropriated but sometime highly controversial state mechanism to exposed their self hard power in regional disputes for instance the Yemen civil war.The Trump’s hard power tactics was one of the describing instruments militarization of economic tools. His authorities reinterpreted trade policy among the targeting countries like Iran, China, North Korea and even several European States through the sanctions, tariffs disputes and powerful negotiations.In 2018, originated the U.S.-China trade war was emblematic system. Basically, Trump purposing to increase trade imbalances and astute strategic property theft, almost hundreds of billions of dollars imposed tariffs on Chinese goods.While this policy highly concerns for legitimacy and also stressed international markets frequently decrease trending between the two biggest finances.The War of tariff was low percentage about financial collaboration and highly economic pressure as a elements of tactics conflict.Therefore, the trump authority imposed highly pressurize through sanctions on Iran and several new targeting sanctions like as banking, oil and weapon sectors. This strategy mainly purposed at Iran's nuclear goal, regional functions, increased tensions and adding isolated Tehran, donating to partial dispute in Iraq, Yemen and Syria.

President Trump used hard power narratives for controlling the north Koreaepitomized with the self diplomacy. Primarily forcing of fire and fury and visible of weapon power in the north Koreanpeninsula made international concerns.In 2018 &2019, the two unprecedented conference with Kim Jong-un in Hanoi and Singapore,this powerful collaboration lacked substantive disarmament initiatives.Though this diplomacy focused trump’s belief in participation creating over systemization, it ultimately power including weaponization status quo in East Asia.President Trump was highly undermining global recognize institution and their norms. He used hard power among multilateral organization and withdrawals funding from WTO, United Nations and Human rights council. These policies emphasize the international rules-based order that long term anchored by U.S. Patron.The unpredictability trump foreign policy was specific self strategy while often used a high focal point with incoherence and changing stances on Syria, NATO and even Russia made confusion several partners state. Such as, in 2019 Trump’s frequently self decision withdraw soldiers from Syria without suggest Kurdishcollaborators.Donald Trump’s hard power exercise is a dramatic escalation for U.S. foreign policies. While he inherited much of approach risks increasing China, reducing multilateralism and changing global order his authorities answered with transactionalism.These strategies expanded U.S. military dominance and financial leverage. Therefore, they also exposed international instability, less partnerships and powerful rivalry to self interest implementation under the autonomous strategy. Moreover, the simplicity of unilateral functions and self agendas foreign policy set a precedent which could outlive trump regime. The change toward hard power is not visible of one patron likes but may importance a expand transformation in global relations which potential from collaboration to competition from deterrence to diplomacy.As the global dynamics profound into the multipolar era the major legacy of Trump's hard power tactics will be stepped not just it disrupted but it impacts upcoming patron navigating the hard terrain of world politics.

Md. Mizanur Rahman is a young researcher and analyst.

Disclaimer: Views in this article are author’s own and do not necessarily reflect CGS policy.


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