Foreign policy has always been a difficult sell for the American public, and Trump’s current trifecta is no different

IN one week, the president has propelled three different foreign policy issues to the forefront — Venezuela, Iran, and Greenland. But a strain is forming within his MAGA base, debate over foreign entanglements is creeping into the 2026 midterms, and Americans haven’t yet bought into the long-term goals in these various countries. The next few weeks are critical in determining whether Trump can achieve his objectives without overshadowing his domestic agenda.

Foreign policy has always been a difficult sell for the American public, and Trump’s current trifecta is no different. The polling says Americans don’t understand what Trump is doing. According to an AP-NORC poll, more than half of Americans believe Trump has “gone too far” in Venezuela; a CNN poll says 75 percent of Americans oppose Trump taking control of Greenland; and a Quinnipiac University poll says 70 percent of registered voters oppose American military involvement in Iran.

This skepticism over foreign policy is a deeply ingrained American trait.

Foreign Entanglements

It all started in 1793, in George Washington’s first term. When French revolutionaries appointed Edmond-Charles Genêt as their envoy to the United States, it stirred immediate chaos. Genêt began soliciting American support for the French cause, and when Washington didn’t agree with him, he went directly to the American people to make his case. Washington would later warn his fellow Americans of the dangers of “foreign entanglements” in his farewell address.

This laid the template for American suspicions about foreign issues. Two precedents came out of this. One, Americans don’t like foreigners forcing our hand to get involved in their problems. Two, the great distance between America and most other countries means we don’t need nuanced knowledge of foreign affairs. We aren’t Europeans with other countries a train ride away.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt understood this latter point very well. In a 1942 radio fireside chat, he urged Americans to pull out a map as he explained to them the events of World War II: “I have asked you to take out and spread before you a map of the whole earth, and to follow with me the references which I shall make to the world‑encircling battle lines of this war.”

When presidents forget this American mindset, foreign policy fatigue quickly sets in. After the 9/11 attacks, the American public understood the need for the war in Afghanistan, but George W. Bush famously lost their support by leading them into an Iraq war that many didn’t understand.

GOP Unity in 2026

Republican senators Josh Hawley (MO) and Todd Young (IN) were both initially pushing for a congressional resolution that would have restricted some of Trump’s actions in Venezuela. It took Trump calling them out publicly for them to retract their concerns.

But not all right-wing voices can be convinced. The extreme right-wing voices are vocally against Trump’s actions. “I reject empire,” said Megyn Kelly in her podcast to Tucker Carlson, who agreed with her by saying that he was “totally opposed to empire.” Kelly continued, “I much prefer the way we started, with the original George Washington. Let’s avoid foreign entanglements.”

The fraying of right-wing support isn’t ideal for Trump in the upcoming midterm elections, which require unity for a party that won’t have him on the ballot. Beyond holding their base, the Republicans must convince the public at large to return them to office. No easy task. How can the Republicans explain foreign policy to Americans who view affordability as the number one domestic issue?

But this is perhaps the crux of the issue for Trump: His domestic policies are not polling well, and he is having difficulty getting them all enacted. By pivoting to foreign policy, he is moving to an arena where he has the power to get things done. It is a time-honored tradition for presidents to wield a big foreign policy stick to get Americans’ minds off domestic problems.

But affordability remains atop Americans’ minds. Just last month, a Politico poll showed that 46 percent of Americans said that the “cost of living is the worst they can ever remember it being.” This sentiment was a driving force for the elections in 2025 and will likely remain the number one issue in 2026.

Republicans and President Trump will try to insert decreasing gas prices as one driver of the Venezuelan strategy. But how is life more affordable if Americans “buy” Greenland? Having thousands of Republican candidates explain multiple foreign engagements instead of selling the Big, Beautiful Bill and all its affordability provisions will prove difficult.

What Comes Next?

If I were advising the president, I would tell him to find a way to impose deadlines on all three of these foreign issues so they don’t look like long-term quagmires that bump into the midterm elections.

I would also tell him to focus on selling only one of these issues to the American people, likely Venezuela. Clearly lay out where Venezuela is, who Maduro was, and the short- and long-term implications for the Americas. Venezuela has domestic implications while also having a clear moral imperative in the removal of a dictator. This all must be explained clearly and repeatedly.

Americans can understand one foreign policy conflict better than they can three. I would still caution, despite those explanations, that foreign policy in 2026 isn’t going to be something voters are passionate about, and that an ultimate return to Trump’s domestic agenda is imperative.

February Forecast

Q) Who is Trump’s next new Democratic “friend”?

He has two new governors, Abigail Spanberger (VA) and Mikie Sherrill (NJ). After making friends with Mamdani, will he pal up with Senator Bernie Sanders (VT)?

My take is Senator Elizabeth Warren (MA). Trump called her and they chatted about credit card rates.

Q) Which newcomer dominates the 2028 presidential buzz in February?

We’ve been hearing more from Governor J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) and Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX). Could a dark horse emerge, like Governor Andy Beshear (D-KY)?

My take is Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). She currently has an attentive press and is willing to attack the Trump administration, which makes her even more popular with them.

Q) What’s the next big domestic political battle?

We’ll see a slew of hot-button issues come up, like the nomination for a new Federal Reserve chair, ballooning credit card debt, and housing affordability.

My take is that it will be a repeat of the government shutdown. I see little incentive for either side to compromise and stave off another shutdown, even if temporary.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1096)