National Realism and Decisions in the Trump Administration

The text analyzes Donald Trump's presidency through the lens of General Keith Kellogg's experiences, defining it as an attempt to restore state agency through hard realism. The author describes the 'America First' doctrine not as isolationism, but as a hierarchy of national interests over diplomatic rituals. A key element is the 'Fire and Ice' management model, illustrating the synergy between Trump's instinctive decision-making and Mike Pence's procedural composure. Drawing on his military experience, Kellogg opposes concrete, immediate goals to phantom goals, criticizing the bureaucratic 'mandarinate' that often replaces the electoral mandate with its own morality. The article depicts the struggle for state agency in a clash with a procedural oligarchy and the importance of precisely defined strategic goals.