Trump's nationalists triumphant after Europe trip

Advisers like Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller gain new momentum in the White House’s ongoing ideological battle.

By MICHAEL CROWLEY 07/08/2017 07:57 PM EDT

President Donald Trump’s trip to Europe was a victory for his nationalist advisers over their so-called globalist rivals as the two camps gird for more showdowns this summer.

In Warsaw, Trump delivered a starkly nationalist speech lauding the right-wing Polish government’s defense of “civilization” from foes like refugees and European Union bureaucrats. At the G-20 summit in Germany, Trump stuck to his dissent from a global climate change consensus, befriended Russian President Vladimir Putin and weighed potential new steel tariffs that a top European Union official angrily branded “protectionist.”

In each instance, the influence of nationalist White House advisers, like Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller — along with Trump’s own raw instincts — were on clear display. And all represent setbacks for the likes of National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and chief economic adviser Gary Cohn, who are trying to steer Trump’s policies in a more conventional direction.

“Overall the trip embraced nationalism much more than internationalism,” said Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations. “There was further rejection of free trade, nothing on climate change, disrespect of free media, and a pro forma pushback versus Russian interference in our politics.”

The internal struggle will continue to unfold this month, as Trump makes an expected decision on steel tariffs and returns to Europe next weekend to for a visit with French President Emmanuel Macron, who recently defeated a nationalist candidate Trump had subtly supported.

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http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/08/trump-nationalists-bannon-europe-g20-240325