The U.S. presidential election is approaching, and political elites and intellectuals alike fear the return of Donald Trump, who could spend another four years disrupting the established international and political order. Politics abhors uncertainty, making Trump's unpredictability and extreme behavior particularly alarming. However, behind his unfiltered rhetoric lies his appeal, rooted in traditional isolationism.

From 1789 to 1941, when the U.S. officially entered World War II, American foreign policy was consistently isolationist. As former President Washington bluntly stated in his 1796 farewell address, the U.S. should "steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world" and "have with them as little political connection as possible." Although Trump lacks Washington's caution and foresight, his ideology is also rooted in the traditional thinking of the late 19th century.