President Donald Trump’s foreign policy has taken an increasingly aggressive turn, marked by military buildups, territorial assertions and threats of force from the Middle East to the Western Hemisphere. His administration has targeted Venezuela and Cuba, threatened Iran, and revived claims over Greenland and influence over Canada. Though framed as 'America First,' analysts argue the approach is neither isolationist nor limited to regional dominance, but instead reflects a broader effort to reassert expansive global power.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio articulated this vision in a speech in Munich, praising centuries of Western expansion and lamenting what he described as the postwar decline of Western civilization. He criticized anticolonial movements and rejected what he called guilt over imperial history, urging allies to take pride in a shared civilizational heritage. His remarks drew applause from some attendees while alarming others, particularly representatives of formerly colonized nations.

Historians and foreign policy scholars say the rhetoric represents a sharp break from decades of United States leaders publicly distancing themselves from imperialism. Critics warn that openly celebrating empire could inflame tensions in the Global South, strengthen extremist narratives and hand strategic advantages to rivals such as Russia and China. Supporters counter that the administration is seeking to restore Western confidence rather than formally revive colonial rule, though skeptics view the language as a justification for expanded military dominance.