Donald Trump returned to the White House promising to ‘put America first’. But what does that mean for the rest of the world?

His critics argue that his style of leadership is dangerous. His threats to abandon NATO and seize control of the Panama Canal — not to mention his obsession with buying Greenland — show that he is driven by impulse and grievance, not strategy. Within weeks of taking office, Trump unleashed a barrage of new tariffs on America’s biggest trading partners, vowing to revive US industry and punish foreign ‘cheaters’ — a move that jolted global markets and fuelled fears of a full-blown trade war. He has unveiled a plan for Gaza which involves forcibly relocating Palestinians, a move condemned by global leaders as reckless and destabilising. Meanwhile, his manoeuvrings around Ukraine — blaming Kyiv for starting the war with Russia and forcing negotiations — could deprive the country of the victory it has fought so hard for.

Others claim, however, that you don’t have to be a MAGA die-hard to see that a second Trump presidency could bring much-needed order to an unstable world. Indeed, his pledge to pull back from ‘forever wars’ and take a tough stance against aggressors could be a boon.They point to his record in the Middle East — brokering the Abraham Accords and efforts to contain Iran — as proof that Trump’s instinct for disruption, coupled with an aversion to endless process,  could allow him to achieve what decades of cautious diplomacy could not. Trump’s unpredictability, coupled with a willingness to defy diplomatic orthodoxy, could shake international complacency, not through consensus, but through disruption.

Trump is unlike any democratic leader anywhere. Could his style of blunt-force leadership be what’s needed to make the West review its security and stop taking America for granted — or will it only deepen the disorder? Join us in this Parallax debate on July 14th as Michael Gove and Mehdi Hasan discuss what another Trump term means for the world.

Speaking for the motion:

The Rt Hon Michael Gove: Editor of The Spectator and former UK Government Cabinet Minister

Speaking against the motion: 

Mehdi Hasan: Journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Zeteo 

Chair: Ritula Shah Former BBC news presenter and host on Classic FM

Tickets to this event are £15 off for subscribers to How To Plus.