Rather than a departure from standard practice, recent actions by the United States continue its longstanding commitment to protect vulnerable religious communities abroad.
President Trump’s decision to intervene militarily to defend Christians from ISIS attacks in Nigeria has been criticized by left and the right-wing commentators alike. Progressives denounced the operation as the product of intense lobbying by Evangelicals and a sharp departure from America’s traditionally secular foreign policy. A burgeoning school within MAGA, meanwhile, has portrayed any overseas action by Trump as a betrayal of his America First pledge. Yet both sides are wrong. Rather than a departure from standard practice, Trump’s action represents the continuation of America’s longstanding commitment to protect vulnerable religious communities abroad. Instead of favoring foreign over domestic affairs, the president has determined that standing up for the innocent and powerless is a fundamental American interest.
