Trump Diplomacy Military
Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, and members of the Israeli Defense Forces host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Nentanyahu inside the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) Oct. 29, 2025, in Israel.)
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President Donald Trump has taken an unusual step of turning to military leaders for high-level diplomacy. The top U.S. commander in the Middle East is involved in talks over Iran’s nuclear program. Trump's Army secretary is engaged in negotiations on trying to end the Russia-Ukraine war. It's not clear whether the military leaders were brought in because of their expertise, connections or to signal potentially tougher options. But the move reflects how the Trump administration has upended traditional U.S. foreign policy and diplomacy. Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are balancing both sets of difficult negotiations.
