America First, rules second: Trump’s National Security rewrite

This article examines the 2025 U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS) and National Defense Strategy (NDS) as foundational statements of a reoriented American grand strategy under President Trump. It argues that the documents do not reflect simple retrenchment or acceptance of a spheres-of-influence order, but rather a strategy of consolidation aimed at restoring U.S. structural strength while preserving primacy. The NSS elevates the Western Hemisphere as the core strategic arena, deemphasizes liberalism, and recasts alliances as instruments of burden-shifting. At the same time, the NDS operationalizes a denial-based deterrence posture in the Indo-Pacific, while reducing U.S. liabilities in Europe and the Middle East. Together, the strategies mark a shift from a “rules-based international order” to a power-centered framework. While framed as “flexible realism,” the approach risks weakening alliances, legitimizing territorial aggrandizement, and expanding U.S.–China rivalry into new theaters. The success of this consolidation strategy depends on domestic industrial revival, alliance resilience, and the reactions of strategic competitors.