US expert Svein Melby believes that Donald Trump has held his best speech so far. However, the political message is the same: the United States comes first.
According to Melby, the speech shows that Trump stands firm that the US has no special responsibility for the world. This is a marked departure from the former US self-understanding that it was important for the US to promote liberal values and democracy in the world.
Trump has a completely different assessment, maintains Melby, a researcher at the Institute for Defense Studies.
– Trump is breaking a long tradition. He speaks a lot about the fact that for many decades they have used resources on international commitments, and that this has been at the expense of the American middle class and building of their infrastructure.
He believes that the United States must first and foremost think of themselves, and he has a different view of what is in the best interest for America than the Presidents before him, says Melby, who emphasizes that Trumps predecessors were also primarily concerned with US interests.
Researchers don’t agree with those who believe that Trump’s political career will be short.
– It is prudent to take both his politics and Trump seriously. He is going to be a prominent figure in American politics for several years, says Svein Melby.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today