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The first year of Donald J. Trump’s second term as the president of the United States has been not only tumultuous for America but also the rest of the world. Just as at home, he has disregarded existing international institutions and standing alliances to chart a very different foreign policy course. Trump has threatened long-standing European with steep tariffs and military action—and traditional adversaries such as Russia with relative warmth and friendliness. Are there any broader theories guiding Trump’s actions? What are the aims of his MAGA advisors? And what does the Trump presidency portend for America’s standing as the champion of the liberal international order? If that order permanently collapses, what will replace it and how would that affect American interests? The UnPopulist’s editor-in-chief, Shikha Dalmia, discusses with Pulitzer Prize winning author Anne Applebaum, a historian. Anne, who writes for The Atlantic, has penned the most incisive —and prescient—analysis about the emerging alliance of global authoritarians, Russian disinformation campaign, the Ukrainian war and more. We hope you enjoy. *** Thanks for checking out The UnPopulist! Subscribe to support our project. Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X. © The UnPopulist, 2026 Get full access to The UnPopulist at www.theunpopulist.net/subscribe