Research On Trump Administration’s Nuclear Strategy

The United States is the only nuclear power that has ever used nuclear weapons in combat and the only superpower in the world today,and its nuclear strategy with a global influence has always been concerned by the international community.After the Cold War,with the change of the international environment,every president of the United States has made timely adjustment to his nuclear strategy and conducted strategic practice during his term of office.Trump paid attention to nuclear weapons when he was running for president.In the more than one year since he came to power,he successively issued official documents such as National Security Strategy of the United States of America,National Defense Strategy and Nuclear Posture Review,which officially announced the U.S.nuclear strategy and conducted practice in the new era.Through comparison,we can find that Trump administration’s nuclear strategy has changed greatly from the previous administration,showing the new characteristics of the U.S.nuclear strategy.Nuclear strategy has become an important step for Trump administration to implement "American First",an important means to maintain national security,and served to achieve the comprehensive competitive advantage of the United States.This paper studies the Trump administration’s nuclear strategy by analyzing the U.S.government’s public documents and strategic practice,and discusses the Trump administration’s nuclear strategy from four parts: formation basis,influencing factors,content analysis and impact assessment.After the Cold War,the nuclear strategy has evolved obviously in different presidents’ periods,but ultimately aimed at maintaining the national security and gaining national interests of the United States.The nuclear strategy is a very important part of the national strategy.The evolution of nuclear strategy in different administrations provides historical reference for the Trump administration to formulate its nuclear strategy,and the "nuclear strategic legacy" left by the Obama administration becomes realistic consideration.They both become the basis of Trump administration’s nuclear strategy formation.Trump is an "atypical" president.His distinctive style of aggressive decision-making,"self-center" interest view and "State centralism" tendency affect the administration’s nuclear strategy.Meanwhile,the Trump administration’s nuclear strategy which is guided by the national security strategy attaches importance to strategic competition and intentions to seek peace with strength.In terms of specific content,the Trump government plans and adjusts its nuclear strategy from the aspects of nuclear deterrence policy,nuclear force development policy,nuclear force utilization policy and nuclear arms control policy.Influenced by Trump’s personal characteristics and his government’s national security strategy,the nuclear strategy destroys the international nuclear order in the process of implementation,results in nuclear strategy competition and strategic cooperation,and increases the risk of nuclear proliferation.