President-elect Donald Trump railed against President Joe Biden's foreign policy, but as he enters the White House, Trump may end up agreeing more than he thinks.
The New York Times outlined some of the ways that Trump has claimed he and Biden differ, but they're actually fairly similar.
For example, both men are firmly behind Israel.
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"Mr. Trump casts himself as Israel’s best friend in American politics, and he may give Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wide latitude on security issues and his treatment of Palestinians. But so did Mr. Biden. While the Biden administration often criticized Mr. Netanyahu’s conduct of the war in Gaza, it took few concrete steps to restrain his behavior," the report said.
In Iran, Trump ripped up former President Barack Obama's denuclearization deal, issuing sanctions. While Trump falsely claimed that Biden lifted the sanctions he imposed, it never happened. Despite efforts, Biden wasn't able to negotiate another deal with Iran. Now, Trump wants another deal.
“We have to make a deal,” he told reporters in September, saying that Iran having nuclear weapons is an “impossible” outcome.
The Times thinks Trump could run into problems because he campaigned on inflation and high gas prices, but if he ends up in a fight with Iran it could adversely impact both.
The report said Taiwan is one "wild card." Biden supported the small democracy and its refusal to genuflect to China.
"Mr. Trump has sounded ambivalent," the report said. That said, many of Trump's appointees are China hawks.
After Obama began diplomatic outreach to Cuba, Trump shut it down, reinstituting a decades-long blockade. Biden didn't change anything Trump did.
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"Similarly, Mr. Biden has largely maintained heavy Trump-era sanctions on Venezuela meant to pressure its authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro, from power," said the Times.
What has caused some anxiety is the U.S. relationship with Europe. One diplomat told the Times that there is an air of "uncertainty and alarm" about relations with the U.S. Trump has already advocated pulling out of NATO, though the diplomat said most think that it's all talk.
"Few in Europe, he said, believe that Mr. Trump will actually take such a radical step," said the Times.
