US President Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of Europe with a force rarely expressed in official policy documents. In his newly released National Security Strategy, published quietly in the early hours of Friday morning, Trump levels a sweeping attack on the continent, characterizing it as over-regulated, censorious, and threatened by what he describes as “civilizational erasure” due to migration trends.
The strategy marks one of the clearest and most confrontational articulations yet of the Trump administration’s worldview since the president began his second term earlier this year. While Trump has often placed Europe in his rhetorical crosshairs, this document transforms those grievances into a formal blueprint.
The National Security Strategy sharply depicts Europe as a continent in decline, suffering from waning “self-confidence” and failing to safeguard its cultural identity. It claims European governance is dominated by institutions that “undermine political liberty and sovereignty” and argues that EU-aligned policies have fostered censorship, declining birth rates, and the erosion of national identities.
“Should present trends continue, the continent will be unrecognizable in 20 years or less,” the strategy warns, signaling a dramatic departure from traditional US diplomatic language toward European allies.
Trump Strategy Accuses Europe of Weakness and Over-Regulation
The document also asserts that although a “large European majority wants peace,” this sentiment is not reflected in policy—allegedly due to governments “subverting democratic processes.” The phrasing illustrates how the Trump administration is positioning itself publicly against Europe’s mainstream political direction.
European reaction to the strategy was immediate. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul insisted that Germany does not need “outside advice” on how to manage its internal affairs or its democratic institutions. In France, Valerie Hayer, the head of the Renew Europe centrist group in the European Parliament, condemned the document as “unacceptable and dangerous.”
Across the Atlantic, foreign policy experts expressed surprise at the tone and scope of Trump’s criticisms. Evan Feigenbaum, a former advisor to two US secretaries of state, described the Europe section as “by far the most striking,” surpassing even the portions addressing China and Asia. He noted the strategy “feels inherently more confrontational and pits the U.S. as decisively opposed to the whole European project,” especially with its call for “cultivating resistance to Europe’s current trajectory within European nations.”
The strategy’s language follows months of escalating critiques from Washington. Shortly after taking office, US Vice President JD Vance generated controversy across Europe after a Munich speech in which he argued that freedom of expression was diminishing on the continent. His remarks aligned with positions often voiced by Europe’s far-right, including Germany’s AfD.
The new Trump National Security Strategy fits into this broader narrative by promoting the “restoration of the primacy of nation-states.” Kristine Berzina, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund, said the strategy signals that Trump wants to see “an entirely different Europe.” She added that the questioning of European governments’ legitimacy amounts to “significant political attacks” on countries that Washington still calls allies—despite simultaneously claiming to bolster European security amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
One of the most pointed sections addresses free expression, accusing European governments of enabling “censorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition,” a reference to policies in several countries aimed at limiting the spread of extremist political movements.
For months, Trump administration officials have highlighted what they describe as a deterioration of human rights in countries such as Germany, France, and the UK. The new strategy does not explicitly name any political parties, but it clearly signals the administration’s preference for policies championed by conservative and nationalist movements across Europe, particularly in the realm of immigration.
Trump has made no secret of his admiration for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, calling him a “friend.” Orbán, known for his hardline stance on immigration and opposition to LGBTQ rights, embodies the type of leadership Trump often praises. The strategy’s emphasis on borders, national identity, and skepticism toward supranational institutions mirrors many of Orbán’s positions.
Source- EWN