Facing falling approval ratings, political headwinds at home, and disappointment over his much-touted budget plan, President Donald Trump is increasingly turning to foreign policy theatrics to shift attention away from his growing domestic woes.
That’s the assessment of Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota, who told The Guardian that Trump is trying to distract from a bleak political landscape by positioning himself as a global strongman.
“Trump’s domestic presidency is a mess — drawn-out, frustrating negotiations with Congress, and a budget that’s likely to fall short of the sweeping promises he made,” Jacobs said. “So, he turns to spectacle abroad.”
Writing for The Guardian, David Smith noted that six months into Trump’s second term, his approval honeymoon is clearly over. Recent polling shows a deeply divided electorate: while 49% of voters approve of Trump’s handling of immigration, 47% disapprove. On the economy, the numbers are worse — just 43% approve, while 54% disapprove.
That vulnerability, Smith reports, has pushed Trump to emphasize his recent military strike on Iran and his headline-grabbing appearance at a NATO summit — both meant to project strength and leadership on the world stage.
According to Jacobs, this strategy is deliberate: “Trump’s dramatic rhetoric about Iran, the images of bombs dropping, the NATO grandstanding — it’s pure political theater. It’s the kind of showmanship he thrives on, especially when things at home look grim.”
But even the foreign policy narrative is beginning to unravel. Smith reports that a leaked intelligence assessment suggests the bombing campaign on Iran’s underground nuclear sites set the program back only a few months — far from the decisive blow Trump claimed.
“This is classic misdirection,” Jacobs said. “Trump’s acting like a carnival barker — waving his hands, shouting about triumphs abroad, all while trying to draw attention away from the growing political damage at home.”
That damage includes the likely political fallout from expected cuts to popular domestic programs such as Medicaid, which Jacobs warns will be difficult to hide or spin. “These are visible, traceable consequences of Trump’s policies,” he said. “And unlike foreign policy stunts, they hit voters directly.”
With key policy promises unraveling and political costs mounting, experts suggest Trump’s turn to foreign affairs may offer only a temporary shield from the pressures building on the home front.
