by Amal Zadok
President Donald Trump has reshaped America’s legacy—not as a nation of peacemakers, but as history’s chief arms merchant. Despite rhetoric about “historic peace,” Trump’s tenure is marked by an unprecedented surge in U.S. weapons exports, strategic escalation in conflict zones, and public boasts about delivering weapons that allies “did not even know existed.” The world received bombs over apples—and lives with the consequences (Independent, 2025).
From Orchard to Arsenal: How Peace Was Substituted with Arms
America once sought to balance humanitarian diplomacy—the apple offered—with the realities of global power. Under Trump, this balance shattered. The United States now accounts for 43% of all global arms exports, dominating the world’s weapons market (SIPRI, 2025; DW, 2025; Global Defense Corp, 2025; ChinadailyHK, 2025).
U.S. arms deals reached $175 billion annually during Trump’s second term, flooding allies and volatile regions with jets, bombs, and drones (Stephen Semler, 2023).
Trump’s administration actively relaxed restrictions, streamlining arms deals and pushing advanced hardware—including drones and precision-guided munitions—to buyers like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Nigeria, and Israel; even bargaining on public TV about the “jobs” and “security” they’d bring (War on the Rocks, 2018; Reuters, 2018; Politico, 2017). Former bans linked to human rights concerns dissolved, replaced by transactional embrace and unchecked proliferation.
Gaza: Partner in Genocide
This arms trade translated into lethal reality in Gaza. Trump publicly celebrated Israel’s campaign, crowing that Prime Minister Netanyahu received “every weapon he wanted,” fueling a conflict where civilian casualties skyrocketed and humanitarian watchdogs raised charges of ethnic cleansing and genocide (CBC News, 2025; Al Jazeera, 2025; NPR, 2025).
Far from mediating peace, the United States played quartermaster to the world’s most divisive battles. The apple of diplomacy was never offered. Only bombs—delivered, enabled, and defended at the highest levels.
International observers denounced America’s complicity, warning that the shadow of partnership in these alleged atrocities will follow Trump, his administration, and the nation for generations (Al Jazeera, 2025; BBC News, 2025; NPR, 2025).
Ukraine: Betting the World on Brinkmanship
If Gaza showcased Trump’s willingness to arm and escalate, Ukraine raised the stakes to nuclear heights. In 2025, Trump repeatedly threatened the transfer of Tomahawk and other long-range missiles to Ukraine—potentially enabling strikes deep into Russia. Military analysts warn these moves could force Russian President Putin into existential responses, including nuclear options (NYT, 2025; DW, 2025).
Trump’s rationale mixed calculated brinksmanship with the pretense of “ending war.” What resulted was the rapid acceleration of arms transfers: Ukraine became the world’s top arms importer, with contracts worth billions and new categories of advanced weaponry flooding the front lines (SIPRI, 2025; CBC News, 2025). Global stability deteriorated, Americans and Europeans feared direct confrontation, and the specter of superpower nuclear disaster returned (DW, 2025).
The Data: Record-Breaking Exports and Vanishing Restraint
Under Trump, U.S. arms exports rose sharply, with record annual values and more than 100 countries receiving U.S. hardware (SIPRI, 2025; DW, 2025; Global Defense Corp, 2025). The administration:
Pushed more than $175 billion per year in arms sales, peaking at $206 billion in 2022 (Stephen Semler, 2023).
Lifted restrictions on armed drones, precision-guided bombs, and fighter jets once denied for human rights reasons (War on the Rocks, 2018; Politico, 2017).
Advocated arms sales as a diplomatic priority, recasting embassies and trade offices as marketing hubs for American weapons (Reuters, 2018).
Shrunk humanitarian aid and diplomacy relative to record military exports (ChinadailyHK, 2025).
Militarization as Foreign Policy: Covert Action and Global Fallout
Trump’s arms-first foreign policy spilled into covert operations: the CIA and special forces led missions in Venezuela, Africa, and Asia, while cyberwarfare and clandestine sabotage became normalized American tactics (NYT, 2025; BBC News, 2025; Al Jazeera, 2025).
Global confidence in U.S. leadership collapsed. NATO allies feared that reckless American escalation would drag Europe into all-out war; Asia witnessed new arms races stoked by American, Chinese, and Russian competition (DW, 2025; ChinadailyHK, 2025).
Human Rights Forgotten: Peace Sacrificed for Profit
Trump’s administration dismissed mounting evidence from NGOs and war crimes monitors as “partisan noise” (CBC News, 2025; NPR, 2025). Civilian death tolls in Gaza, Yemen, and Donbas multiplied. For every criticism about the ethics of arms exports—or the risks of “partnering in genocide”—Trump’s team expedited contracts, promising “total support” so long as the payers kept buying.
The President of Bombs
Defenders claim overwhelming force deters enemies and secures allies. But the evidence is overwhelming: America’s mass arms exports have not brought peace; they have amplified chaos, fueled global crises, and undermined diplomacy. Trump is the President of Bombs. And always the shadow of being partner in the genocide in Gaza will follow him, his country, and his family. This will be Trump’s legacy to history and the world (Al Jazeera, 2025; BBC News, 2025; CBC News, 2025; NPR, 2025).
References
Al Jazeera. (2025, October 13). Five key takeaways from Donald Trump’s Gaza remarks in Middle East. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/13/five-key-takeaways-from-donald-trumps-gaza-remarks-in-middle-east
BBC News. (2025, October 12). Trump says ‘war is over’ in Gaza as he flies to Israel for ceasefire deal. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn409y125v3o
CBC News. (2025, October 16). Trump’s Gaza deal may be ‘historic,’ but falls short of lasting peace. https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/gaza-trump-peace-deal-analysis-9.6940737
ChinadailyHK. (2025, June 17). US promotes arms sales to revive its faltering economy. https://www.chinadailyhk.com/hk/article/614176
CNN. (2025, October 14). How Trump’s Gaza triumph could change his presidency. https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/14/politics/trump-israel-hostages-gaza-ceasefire-deal-analysis
DW. (2025, March 9). US increases dominance as world’s biggest arms exporter. https://www.dw.com/en/us-increases-dominance-as-worlds-biggest-arms-exporter/a-71860617
Global Defense Corp. (2025, March 10). United States has strengthened its dominance in the global arms trade. https://www.globaldefensecorp.com/2025/03/11/united-states-has-strengthened-its-dominance-in-the-global-arms-trade-accounting-for-43-percent/
Independent. (2025, October 16). Tomahawk missiles are Trump’s ace card for Ukraine. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/tomahawk-missiles-ukraine-trump-russia-b2846089.html
New York Times. (2025, October 14). Trump says he may give Tomahawks to Ukraine. Is he serious? https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/14/us/politics/trump-tomahawks-ukraine-russia.html
NPR. (2025, September 25). A question of intent: Is what’s happening in Gaza genocide? https://www.npr.org/2025/09/25/g-s1-89678/israel-gaza-genocide-debates-united-nations
Politico. (2017, September 28). Trump to unleash more global arms sales. https://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/29/trump-global-arms-sales-243282
Reuters. (2018, April 20). Arming the world – Inside Trump’s ‘Buy American’ drive to expand weapons exports. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-arms-insight/arming-the-world-inside-trumps-buy-american-drive-to-expand-weapons-exports-idUSKBN1HO2PT/
SIPRI. (2025, March 9). Ukraine the world’s biggest arms importer; United States dominance in global arms exports grows. https://www.sipri.org/media/press-release/2025/ukraine-worlds-biggest-arms-importer-united-states-dominance-global-arms-exports-grows-russian
Stephen Semler. (2023, March 7). Comparing arms sales under Trump & Biden. https://www.stephensemler.com/p/comparing-arms-sales-under-trump
War on the Rocks. (2018, September 26). Trump’s Arms Exports Policy: Debunking Key Assumptions. https://warontherocks.com/2018/09/trumps-arms-exports-policy-debunking-key-assumptions/
©️2025 Amal Zadok. All rights reserved.
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