The Trump administration's pledge to expand US territory in the inaugural address represents the first explicit presidential endorsement of territorial conquest in contemporary history, signaling a return to pre-World War I thinking where territorial acquisition is on the table as policy.
factualpending
Speaker
Unidentified Speaker — Ben Rhodes: The Warren and Anita Manshel Lecture in America… [-MCZ-F_t578]Evidence Quote
“Trump is that first president in my lifetime who came to office pledging in his inaugural dress an era in which the United States quote expands our territory um so we're kind of back in a pre-World War I mindset where kind of territorial acquisition is at least on the table [8:24]”
Source
Ben Rhodes: The Warren and Anita Manshel Lecture in American Foreign Policy— Weatherhead Center for International AffairsCreated: 8/11/2026, 7:23:32 AM
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