Donald Trump invoked the image of a U.S. plagued by weak borders, lopsided alliances and bad trade deals in an inauguration speech that hammered on his "America First" view of foreign policy and undermined hopes abroad that the new president would moderate his protectionist tone.
"For many decades, we've enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry; subsidized the armies of other countries, while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military," Trump said. "We've defended other nations' borders while refusing to defend our own."
The speech reaffirmed campaign themes that had unnerved foreign leaders fearful the U.S. would back away from its role as the "indispensable nation" and put less stock in traditional alliances, globalism and free trade. On the revamped White House website, the Trump administration vowed to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.
"It was Trump and his populist base against the world -- including every other country and the Washington establishment, and that surprised me," said Jacob Kirkegaard, a senior fellow with the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington. "What really struck me the most was the dark tenor of the speech. This was 'Midnight in America,' " he added, referring to President Ronald Reagan's optimistic "Morning in America" theme.
A key message in the speech was the need to protect U.S. jobs and borders, and Trump also vowed the U.S. would "unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism."