The Shifting Contours of Republican Foreign Policy: An Analysis of MAGA Narratives in the Second Trump Term

The political ascent of Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement has increasingly challenged – if not altogether shattered – the bipartisan post-Cold War foreign-policy consensus in the United States. This belief in the importance of a global military footprint and alliances, unimpeded trade and support (by and large) for international norms and institutions brought a modicum of predictability and continuity to US global engagement regardless of partisan power dynamics in Washington. During Trump’s two presidencies and the interregnum between them, Republican political elites have become increasingly divided, as Trump has challenged conventional conservative beliefs in alliances, trade and international institutions. Trump supporters, both within the Republican elite and the voting public have, meanwhile, increasingly adopted ideological and policy positions that track those of their leader on key domestic and foreign policy issues. This paper focuses on how MAGA news influencers and commentators frame foreign policy questions for their prospective audiences. By crafting compelling foreign policy narratives, they seek to influence both the foreign policy views of the voting public and partake in the debate over the tenets of MAGA and Republican foreign policy. We analyse both posts on the social media platform X by conservative social media news influencers and on-air commentary by Fox News personalities, focussing on four specific news items: The 2025 NATO Summit, Trump’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Trump’s announcement of his Gaza ceasefire plan, and the first lethal strike the US conducted on a vessel carrying an alleged drug shipment. Understanding the evolution of the MAGA, and by implication Republican, foreign policy vision is crucial for assessing the contested contours of US foreign policy in the present and in the post-Trump era.