Aaron David Miller on Trump, Netanyahu, and the Crisis of American Power
JUDJ-Prepared Summary from June 18, 2025 | Israel in Crisis: The Latest Challenges and Shifts. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the speaker.
In a recent America at a Crossroads discussion, foreign policy veteran Aaron David Miller—former U.S. State Department negotiator and senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace—explored how the spiraling Israel-Iran conflict reveals deeper cracks in America’s political institutions and global leadership. With decades of experience under Republican and Democratic administrations, Miller used this high-stakes moment to highlight the danger of a foreign policy driven by personal ambition, domestic dysfunction, and a retreat from democratic norms.
The Trump Doctrine: Power Without Restraint
Aaron David Miller painted a portrait of former President Donald Trump as a leader who disregards precedent, institutions, and alliances in pursuit of his own interests. From engaging directly with Hamas to lifting sanctions on Syria and publicly undermining Israel’s leadership, Trump has defied the traditional “ironclad” U.S.–Israel relationship.
“Trump sits astride American politics like no one before him,” Miller said. Unlike previous presidents who consulted allies and institutions, Trump’s actions—motivated by political and personal calculations—have redefined American engagement on the world stage. According to Miller, Trump’s foreign policy is rooted in impulse and transactional logic, not strategy.
A Hollowed-Out Presidency and the Cost of Institutional Collapse
Beyond foreign affairs, Miller described a presidency that has stretched executive authority to unprecedented levels. With Congress divided and often inactive, Trump has exploited legal and procedural loopholes to act unilaterally. “The presidency is the Energizer Bunny of American government,” Miller noted, warning that checks and balances are no longer functioning as intended.
He contrasted Trump’s disregard for process with the norms of the past. “No American president I worked for—Republican or Democrat—would have authorized some of the moves Trump made with respect to Israel, Hamas, or Syria,” he said. Miller warned that such unchecked authority endangers both domestic governance and international credibility.
Parallel Crises: Netanyahu and Trump as Political Twins
Miller also drew parallels between Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump. Both leaders are embroiled in legal trouble, deeply polarizing, and reliant on political coalitions that push them away from compromise. “They don’t trust each other, but in many ways they mirror one another,” he said.
Netanyahu’s refusal to define a post-war vision for Gaza or a “day after” plan for Iran stems from his need to appease far-right political allies, much like Trump’s allegiance to his base overrides broader national interest. This, Miller warned, is the danger of leadership rooted in self-preservation rather than public service.
The Real Crisis Is at Home
While the headlines focus on airstrikes and negotiations, Miller argued that the deeper danger lies in the erosion of America’s civic and institutional foundations. “I’ve spent my life in foreign policy,” he said, “but the real struggle isn’t in Israel or Iran—it’s here.” Comparing the current political environment to the upheaval of 1968, Miller insisted that today’s dysfunction is more systemic and enduring.
“The unkindness and cruelty alone are breathtaking,” he added, lamenting the loss of civic decency and shared truth in a media environment that rewards division and misinformation.
Idealism Without Illusion
Despite his sobering analysis, Miller ended on a note of guarded hope. Citing John F. Kennedy’s self-description as an “idealist without illusion,” Miller urged the audience to remain engaged, informed, and open to perspectives beyond their comfort zones.
“Every day, the world is like an unassembled jigsaw puzzle,” he said. “Some pieces don’t fit—but we have to keep trying to understand why.”
In a time when power is often exercised without accountability, Miller’s call for humility, vigilance, and intellectual honesty resonates far beyond the foreign policy arena.
About America at a Crossroads
Since April 2020, America at a Crossroads has produced weekly virtual programs on topics related to the preservation of our democracy, voting rights, freedom of the press, and a wide array of civil rights, including abortion rights, free speech, and free press. America at a Crossroads is a project of Jews United for Democracy & Justice.