Ahead of their first presidential debate, Joe Biden and Donald Trump are offering starkly different visions of America’s role in the world, both in style and content.
The rare confrontation between the current and former presidents showcases their contrasts. Trump vowed “America First” during his 2017-2021 presidency, taking an aggressive and often isolationist approach to the world, while Biden vowed “America is back” as he took office in 2021, reinvigorating ties with allies.
The two presidents have some fundamental beliefs in common. Both were adamant about withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan because they believed America’s longest war was not worth the cost of American blood and money.
But the two criticised each other over implementation, in line with their strong public disagreements on most issues.
Russia and Ukraine
Biden has led international efforts to support Ukraine after Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine in February 2022, defying his direct warnings.
With Biden’s encouragement, the US Congress has approved $175 billion in aid for Ukraine, including weapons and budgetary support. Biden made a surprise visit to Kiev last year and labelled Russian President Vladimir Putin a “brutal dictator”.
Trump cast doubt on aid to Ukraine, saying he expected Russia to win, and his supporters in Congress blocked final military aid to Kiev for months.
Trump has claimed to want a quick end to the war. His advisers have spoken of forcing a ceasefire, perhaps by warning Ukraine that aid will stop if it doesn’t compromise on its borders — a suggestion firmly rejected by Biden, who says only Ukraine should decide its future.
Trump has previously expressed admiration for Putin and was first impeached as president for delaying military aid to Ukraine after he pressured President Volodymyr Zelensky to gather information on Biden’s family.
Middle East
Trump was a staunch supporter of Israel during his presidency, and took historic steps such as moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, which the Palestinians also want as their future capital.
Trump has accused Biden of “abandoning” Israel. However, Biden has long portrayed himself as a defender of Israel and has come under fire from the Democratic Party’s left wing for his support for arms embargoes and a veto on the United Nations Security Council.
Still, Biden has clashed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the issue of Palestinian civilian casualties and blocking a weapons shipment that included heavy 2,000-pound bombs.
While Trump is expected to take a more aggressive stance, he has also criticized Netanyahu, blaming him for failing to prevent a Hamas attack on October 7, fueled by Netanyahu’s quick recognition of Biden’s 2020 election victory.
Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, reached the “Abraham Accords” toward the end of his term, under which the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco normalized relations with Israel — the first new Arab recognitions in decades.
Biden’s top diplomat, Antony Blinken, has claimed progress toward sealing an even bigger prize – Saudi Arabia. But the Biden administration has blamed Trump for supporting Netanyahu in sidelining the Palestinian issue in an effort to win Arab recognition of Israel.
Biden has also accused Trump of worsening Iran’s nuclear program by withdrawing from the deal reached under former President Barack Obama.
Trump says the agreement wasn’t strong enough, and Biden has largely abandoned efforts to revive it.
China, North Korea and allies
Both Trump and Biden have described China as the United States’ top long-term rival and have worked to counter Beijing, but they have set different tones.
Biden has taken tough action against China in some areas, including a sweeping ban on semiconductor exports, but he has also called for preventing competition from turning into conflict and for cooperation in select areas such as climate change. Biden held a cordial summit with President Xi Jinping last year.
Trump has described China as an enemy and vowed to rapidly raise tariffs. But Trump has also insisted that Xi is his “good friend.”
Trump has often praised authoritarian leaders and said he “fell in love” with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Trump has met Kim three times — unusually personal diplomacy that eased tensions but produced no lasting agreement.
Trump in turn has attacked Western democratic allies who he believes are taking unfair advantage of the United States.
During the election campaign, he suggested that if NATO allies “didn’t pay their bills” — in terms of military spending — he would encourage Russia to “do whatever it takes.”
Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell’s words couldn’t be more different: “If you ask me what the ‘Biden Doctrine’ would be, it would mean enhancing partnerships with allies and friends.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
