President Trump’s mercurial ways often shock and offend both at home and abroad. For many, this behavior has generated animus and distrust towards Mr. Trump as well as fears that his administration will set the world afire.

Yet, those concerned can find solace by observing the totality of Mr. Trump’s foreign policy thus far. Despite “America First” references and differences in approach from his predecessors, President Trump’s foreign policy has provided continuity — not a departure from — the pursuit of U.S. interests in the following key areas:

Asia

President Trump has worked with traditional allies South Korea and Japan in efforts to address the North Korean nuclear crisis while also reaching out to China, urging Beijing to reign in the North. To reassure Tokyo and Seoul, his administration has continued the practice of making public statements of support for its alliances while also investing in military upgrades in Northeast Asia.

The Trump administration has also continued to support freedom of navigation at sea and in the air in the South China Sea, pushing back against excessive assertions by China which claims inherent sovereignty in nearly the entirety of the region. These actions support the regional security foundation and rules based order that the U.S. created and has protected since the end World War II. Mr. Trump’s approach is a continuation of this postwar American practice, providing assurance to partners in the Asia Pacific.

Additionally, Trump has continued Bush’s and Obama’s initiatives to deepen security, geopolitical and commercial ties with India, a partner of growing importance to Washington amid the challenges associated with both China’s rise and the ongoing war on terror.

Russia

Much has been said of President Trump’s alleged collusion with Russia and fondness for Putin. These matters notwithstanding, from a policy standpoint, many of the President’s actions vis-à-vis Russia have been in keeping with past U.S. presidents who have sought to check Russia, namely:

• The Trump administration’s commitment to NATO’s Article 5 core mutual defense obligation.
• the increased rotation of U.S. forces in Europe, particularly the Eastern European and Baltic states.
• a continuation of U.S. sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Crimea.
• the sale of U.S. energy to Europe for purposes of blunting Russia’s energy coercion and politics in the region.
• airstrikes against Moscow-aligned Syrian military entities that threaten U.S. forces and which engage in chemical weapons attacks against civilians.

War on Terror

President Trump has continued the 16-year American military involvement in the war on terror, prosecuting military operations against terrorist organizations in the Greater Middle East and Africa. While his tactics and strategy have changed from President Obama’s — taking a tougher line against Iran; reestablishing and strengthening alliances with Sunni Gulf Arab partners, Egypt and Israel; and loosening rules of engagement for military commanders in the field — President Trump has fought against his isolationist leanings in order to sustain and intensify America’s ongoing battle against Islamic terror.

The Exception of Trade

Trump departs from his predecessors, however, on the issue of trade. In January, the Trump administration broke from 30 plus years of American support for free trade by withdrawing from the TPP (Trans-Pacific Trade Agreement), and since then has refrained from joining new multilateral trade deals of the type cemented between Japan and the European Union last week.

Values

Many pundits express concern that President Trump does not promote human rights in his dealings with foreign counterparts, alleging that he is a transactional leader who views the world in realpolitik terms. The President’s July 6 speech at Krasinski Square in Warsaw flies in the face of these assertions. Advocating universal principles in spades, Mr. Trump’s remarks were Reaganesque, championing freedom and human dignity while pledging support for NATO and the defense of Western values against terrorism.

Moreover, President Trump’s April tomahawk missile attack on Syrian military bases was a vigorous expression of U.S. concern over the Assad regime’s chemical weapons attack against noncombatants.

Additionally, during their June 30 press conference, Mr. Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in communicated their continued concern over North Korea’s systemic human rights violations. It bears saying that President Trump, along with President Moon, has expressed more concern about human rights in North Korea than any of his counterparts in the G20 who only speak of the crisis in security terms.

Multilateral trade agreements aside, the Trump administration’s foreign relations and pursuit of U.S. interests abroad have been in line with his predecessors. The president’s erratic tweets, tactics and demeanor, while often problematic, ought not to distract from an accurate understanding of his foreign and defense policies.

Ted Gover, Ph.D. is Instructor of Political Science at Central Texas College, U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.