While Washington establishment elites spent years wringing their hands over President Trump’s “divisive” approach to alliance management, a remarkable development from Paris proves the America First strategy was exactly what our European partners needed to hear. French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement of a new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier—representing over $10 billion in defense spending—validates what constitutional conservatives have long argued: real leadership means demanding excellence from our allies, not enabling their dependence.
For decades, American taxpayers subsidized European security while our NATO partners treated defense spending like an optional suggestion rather than a solemn obligation. The foreign policy establishment assured us that gentle diplomacy and endless accommodation would eventually inspire our allies to shoulder their fair share. Instead, we got decades of broken promises and hollow commitments while American service members carried the burden from the Baltic to the Black Sea.
Trump changed that calculus entirely. His relentless pressure on European allies to meet their NATO spending commitments—often dismissed by globalist critics as “damaging to alliance cohesion”—has produced tangible results that benefit both American interests and Western security. France’s commitment to deploy a 78,000-ton nuclear carrier by 2038 represents exactly the kind of serious, sustained investment in power projection that strengthens collective defense while reducing strain on U.S. naval assets.
This isn’t merely about military hardware. France’s decision to maintain nuclear-powered carrier capability demonstrates a fundamental shift toward strategic responsibility that serves core American interests. When European allies develop credible power projection capabilities, American forces gain flexibility to focus on emerging threats in the Indo-Pacific while maintaining strong deterrence against Russian and Chinese aggression in European theaters.
The constitutional principle underlying this success runs deeper than defense spending statistics. Our founders understood that sustainable alliances require mutual respect and shared sacrifice, not patron-client relationships that breed resentment and weakness. When America leads from strength while demanding excellence from partners, we create alliance structures that serve American interests rather than constraining them.
Consider the strategic implications: France’s new carrier will enhance Western naval presence in the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean regions where Chinese influence operations threaten critical shipping lanes. This expanded European capability means American supercarriers can maintain focus on containing Chinese expansion in the South China Sea while allies handle regional security challenges closer to home.
The economic dimensions prove equally significant. France’s multi-billion dollar naval investment creates high-skilled jobs in French shipyards and defense industries, reducing European economic dependence on Chinese manufacturing while strengthening the Western defense industrial base. When allies invest seriously in their own security, they become genuine partners rather than perpetual dependents.
Critics who portrayed Trump’s alliance strategy as reckless or destructive owe the American people an apology. The foreign policy establishment’s preferred approach of endless patience and accommodation produced decades of European free-riding while American taxpayers footed the bill. Trump’s tough-love diplomacy—backed by unmatched American military and economic strength—has generated concrete commitments that serve both American interests and alliance security.
This French commitment should inspire other European allies to make similar investments in credible defense capabilities. Germany’s recent pledge to increase defense spending and Poland’s aggressive military modernization suggest a broader trend toward alliance burden-sharing that benefits American strategic interests.
Patriots should celebrate this validation of America First principles while remaining vigilant about implementation. Announcements matter less than delivery, and European allies have disappointed before. However, France’s decision to commit massive resources to nuclear-powered naval capability represents exactly the kind of serious, long-term investment that creates genuine partnership rather than dependence.
The path forward remains clear: American strength, properly leveraged through confident leadership, compels allies to invest in their own security while strengthening collective deterrence against our adversaries. This French aircraft carrier proves that putting America First strengthens rather than weakens our alliances—exactly as our founders intended.
