President Trump has significantly expanded U.S. military operations worldwide during his second term, launching strikes against drug traffickers, terrorist organizations, and adversaries from the Caribbean to Africa to the Middle East. The aggressive posture raises questions about how his America First platform accommodates a sprawling overseas military presence.
The administration has justified the operations as homeland defense. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said the actions have "made our homeland safer," pointing to efforts to eliminate Iranian nuclear threats, stop drug smuggling, and target terrorists.
In Latin America, U.S. Southern Command has conducted repeated strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. Since September, an estimated 207 people have died in these operations, beginning with a raid that killed 11 members of the Tren de Aragua drug cartel near Venezuela. Recent strikes in the eastern Pacific killed individuals described by military officials as narco-terrorists. The U.S. military also captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in Caracas in January. Maduro now faces charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy and remains in pre-trial detention in New York. A military buildup near Cuba has intensified in recent weeks, though Trump reportedly prefers a peaceful political transition on the island.
The Middle East has become a second major theater. Trump ordered retaliatory airstrikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen in March 2025 and killed a key ISIS leader in Iraq during the same period. Strikes on ISIS targets in Syria followed in December. The U.S. has attacked Iran twice during Trump's second term. In June 2025, Trump directed American forces to join Israel in bombing Iran during a 12-day conflict targeting nuclear sites. In February, U.S. and Israeli forces struck again, prompting Tehran to retaliate against American allies across the region. Clashes have since occurred in the Strait of Hormuz as negotiations to end the war continue.
Somalia became the first country struck after Trump took office again. Joint airstrikes have continued there, with at least 63 operations targeting ISIS and al-Shabaab this year. U.S. and Nigerian officials have also cooperated on strikes against ISIS targets, with Trump citing the persecution of Christians in Nigeria as justification, though Nigerian officials note the extremist groups also attack Muslims.
Andrew Latham, a political science professor at Macalester College in Minnesota, says Trump views military force through a different lens than his predecessors. Rather than attempting to reshape societies in America's image, Trump applies force where it produces tangible results. His worldview holds that threats are personal, borders matter, weakness invites contempt, and force succeeds when it delivers visible outcomes.
Latham warned, however, that Trump's doctrine faces a critical test. A single targeted strike can be sold as homeland defense, but sustained campaigns risk straying from the America First message. "America First can justify a sharp use of force," Latham said. "It has a much harder time justifying drift."
Author James Rodriguez: "Trump's military expansion proves his 'America First' slogan is more flexible than advertised, and whether he can maintain the political distinction between tactical strikes and long-term entanglement remains the real story to watch."
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