How the New Right's 'Civilizationism' Shapes U.S. Foreign Policy Strategy

The rise of the New Right is reshaping American foreign policy, introducing a new grand strategy known as "civilizationism" that challenges long-standing approaches such as liberal internationalism, primacy, and restraint. This movement, which gained prominence during Donald Trump’s presidency, redefines Western civilization not as a set of shared principles like constitutional democracy and equality but as a geographically and ethnoreligiously bound entity tied to Christianity and European ancestry. Key figures in the Trump administration, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and former President Trump himself, have repeatedly emphasized this vision in speeches at forums like the Munich Security Conference and the World Economic Forum in Davos. Their rhetoric warns of threats to a shared Western civilization, framing foreign policy around defending its borders and rejecting universalist ambitions.

Unlike previous iterations of Western identity, civilizationism is rooted in a specific cultural and religious foundation rather than a creedal set of values. This shift has significant implications for U.S. grand strategy. Civilizationism advocates structuring the world into bounded civilizational spaces, each dominated by a hegemon, with the United States positioned as the natural leader of the West. It rejects the global leadership aspirations of primacy and the multilateral constraints of liberal internationalism, instead prioritizing dominance over the Western Hemisphere and coexistence with other civilizations, such as China. While the movement remains internally divided and lacks a fully articulated foreign policy doctrine, its worldview is increasingly influential within conservative circles.

The Trump administration’s rhetoric has aligned with civilizationist ideas, but its foreign policy has not always reflected these principles. For instance, Trump’s 2020 assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani and subsequent tensions with Iran contradicted the New Right’s opposition to military intervention in the Middle East. Analysts suggest that despite Trump’s second term bringing new intellectual energy to foreign policy debates, the movement’s long-term success depends on overcoming internal divisions within the Republican Party. Younger Republicans, in particular, show growing support for scaling back U.S. involvement in the Middle East and reducing tensions with China—positions more aligned with civilizationism than traditional conservative foreign policy.

The New Right’s intellectual ecosystem is expanding, with organizations like the Claremont Institute, the Heritage Foundation, the America First Policy Institute, and the Center for Renewing America shaping conservative discourse on trade, foreign policy, and national identity. These groups have cultivated a new generation of policymakers, with at least 70 alumni of Claremont fellowships now serving in key administration roles. Figures such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, and media personality Tucker Carlson have emerged as prominent voices within the movement, further solidifying its influence.

At its core, civilizationism reflects a rejection of liberalism’s emphasis on individual rights and universal values, viewing them as threats to community, tradition, and religious identity. Instead, it frames American identity in ethnoreligious terms, advocating for a homogeneous nation-state rooted in European civilization. This worldview draws inspiration from political theorists like Carl Schmitt, whose ideas on the friend-enemy distinction resonate with the movement’s emphasis on civilizational boundaries. As the New Right consolidates power within the Republican Party, its vision of foreign policy—centered on defending a narrowly defined Western civilization—could redefine America’s role on the global stage.

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