Trump Normalizes Alignment With Adversaries

The article argues that symbolic acts and policy signaling from the Trump presidency (e.g., deferential diplomacy toward China, rhetorical hostility to allies) are producing a de facto realignment: the U.S. is accommodating rivals rather than leading a liberal bloc. This is presented as both a foreign‑policy shift and an expression of domestic illiberalism that weakens constraints on executive choice. — If accurate, this reframes NATO and allied planning, domestic checks and balances, and electoral politics by treating alignment choice as a primary strategic variable rather than an incidental byproduct.