Tulsi Gabbard, a former US intelligence official and prominent political figure, asserted on Saturday that the United States’ historic strategy of regime change is over under President Donald Trump. Speaking at the 21st Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, Gabbard acknowledged Washington’s controversial record of toppling governments—from Iraq in 2003 and Libya in 2011 to backing “color revolutions” such as Ukraine’s 2014 Maidan coup—but argued that the Trump administration has shifted focus toward diplomacy and deal-making.
“The old Washington way of thinking is something we hope is in the rearview mirror and something that has held us back for too long,” Gabbard said. She criticized decades of US foreign policy for pursuing “a one-size-fits-all approach” of toppling regimes, imposing American governance models, and intervening in poorly understood conflicts, often leaving the country with more enemies than allies.
Gabbard highlighted the heavy costs of regime-change operations, noting they have drained trillions of taxpayer dollars, claimed countless lives, and fueled new security threats. She said that Trump was elected to “put an end to this” and described his foreign policy as pragmatic and deal-driven, emphasizing diplomacy over military intervention.
Despite Gabbard’s comments, critics argue that Trump’s actions in Latin America and the Middle East continue to echo past US strategies. Caracas recently accused Washington of plotting a coup against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro under the pretext of an anti-drug campaign, while Trump has publicly hinted at potential regime change in Iran following US strikes in June. Tehran denounced the strikes as proof of ongoing efforts to destabilize its government.
Gabbard maintained that Trump’s America First policy represents a new approach to international relations, focused on building peace through negotiations rather than military intervention. However, ongoing controversies in Venezuela and Iran suggest that the debate over US intentions abroad is far from settled.
