By Ben Nwanze
*A Clear Direction From Day One*
From the very beginning of his swearing-in as the 47th President of the United States, popularly referred to as Trump 2.0 on January 20th, 2025, he did not mince words about the direction of his diplomatic journey.
He started with a clampdown on immigrants through the aggressive use of ICE. Under his administration, ICE has come down ruthlessly on immigrants whom Trump sees as a major headache to the US.
*A Catalogue of Gunboat Diplomacy*
Here is a list of actions that reflect his intimidating posture and gunboat approach to diplomacy:
*1. Assault on Multilateral Institutions*
About a year ago, when he addressed the 80th General Assembly of the UNGA, he started by raining insults on the United Nations and condemned the Climate Change Summit as a mere jamboree.
*2. The Venezuela Operation*
On January 3rd, 2026, he invaded Caracas and extracted the President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife, accusing the former of drug trafficking. Both have remained in a New York detention facility till now, even as the 81st session of the UNGA is ongoing.
*3. The UNGA 81 Address*
Yesterday, in his address at UNGA 81, he started with self-adulation, spending several minutes praising himself and how he has turned America around. He was emphatic about how America has become unassailable under him, and that those who think otherwise are only being illusory and had better think again.
*4. Threats Against Iran*
He berated Iran and warned the country to embrace a peaceful resolution to the conflict or he would completely annihilate the country and send them to hell. What was curious was that he failed to understand the sanctity of the UNGA, with all heads of state seated, where he should at least preach peace. Trump would not, acting as the cowboy of the entire world.
Even while denouncing Iran, his aides still found time to meet with the Iranian delegation for a shuttle diplomacy. Such great inconsistency is a very good example of gunboat diplomacy.
*5. Intimidation of the Media*
On the floor of the UN, he went straight for the CNN reporter and berated the giant media house for its coverage of him, forgetting that CNN was not there for him alone. About a week ago, he had placed a ban on CNN and some other outlets from accessing the White House. He took his fight against CNN to the UN.
In an attempt to continue his self-adulation, he set up Trump TV to fill the void left by the absence of CNN.
*6. Cult of Personality and Territorial Ambition*
Remember how recently a commemorative $1 coin now features his face. This he did with his protege Kevin Warsh now in the saddle as Fed Chair.
He has now annexed Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, claiming that it is in the interest of the territory and for the good of the US.
*Conclusion: How Far Will It Go?*
We can go on and on about how Trump has consistently employed gunboat tactics, sheer propaganda, and intimidating tactics in his attempt to control the global space.
The point remains, how far can he go in the remaining two and a half years as President of the United States?