African Affairs

Nicholas Westcott, The Second Trump Administration’s Policy on Africa, African Affairs, Volume 125, Issue 499, April 2026, Pages 341–368, https://doi.org/10.1093/afraf/adag021

THE SECOND TRUMP ADMINISTRATION (TRUMP II), learning from the experience of the first Trump Administration, has pursued a more aggressive ‘America First’ foreign policy. This briefing explores what that means for Africa, and what the Administration’s Africa policy tells us about its foreign policy approach more widely. It concludes that whereas in Trump’s first period in office (‘Trump I’, 2017–2025) the USA was keen to retain influence in Africa in order to rival China, in Trump II (2025–present) the continent has been seen primarily as a source of critical minerals for the USA, and profits for American companies. Africa is perceived as of little geostrategic significance by Washington, with aid, trade, and support for good governance all cut. This is consistent with the Administration’s approach to countries of the Global South more widely, and reflects a belief by its principals that the USA can retain all the influence it needs through purely transactional diplomacy. The briefing sets out the theoretical and historical context, then examines the Administration’s foreign policy in general, and in more depth on three issues particularly affecting Africa (aid, migration, and trade), before exploring bilateral relations and US efforts to resolve ongoing conflicts. It also touches briefly on how African states have responded to this policy shift and how the USA is now perceived, a topic which merits further research.