The Only Constant Is Trump

Donald Trump’s first foreign trip as president has made clear that the only constant in his foreign policy is its lack of constancy.

Trump began last weekend with the Saudis, heralding a $350-billion arms deal and bowing ever-so-slightly before the Saudi king, despite previously having slammed President Obama for a similar head nod and having called the Saudis “people who push gays ... off buildings [and] kill women.” Trump then went to Israel, whose security establishment he’s said to have infuriated by reportedly sharing its extremely sensitive intelligence with top Russian officials—after previously declaring himself “Israel’s biggest friend.” Then came Brussels, home to NATO, which Trump had repeatedly said was “obsolete” before abruptly declaring it “no longer obsolete.” Yesterday, the pendulum swung back with a vengeance, with Trump scolding alliance counterparts for the “massive amounts of money” they purportedly owe the United States, and declining to reaffirm America’s commitment to collective self-defense.

Such reversals have become one of the few unifying