From the Monroe Doctrine to the Donroe Doctrine

To justify its power politics, the US often refers to the Monroe Doctrine. Current foreign policy is still inspired by James Monroe's speech, which is over 200 years old.

James Monroe was the fifth president of the United States and the last of the Founding Fathers' generation. He fought against the British colonial troops in the American War of Independence (1775-1783).

When James Monroe gave a speech to the nation on December 2, 1823 — which would go down in history as the Monroe Doctrine — the United States was still a relatively young nation, having declared its independence in 1776. Concerned about his country's sovereignty, Monroe warned the European powers against expanding on the American continent and to refrain from all colonization efforts there.

Those fears were not unjustified. On the other side of the US border, Canada was still a British colony at the time. On the southern border, Mexico had belonged to the Spanish crown until two years earlier. In the northwest lay what is now Alaska, which belonged to Russia.

By 1823, some South American states had already gained independence from Spain or Portugal, while others were still fighting to achieve it. Should European monarchies attempt to reconquer them and suppress republican movements, this would leave the US isolated — and possibly facing an invasion, according to the thinking of then-US Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, Monroe's successor as president.

But the US also had every reason to act confidently. In 1803, it had paid $15 million to buy the huge French colony of Louisiana from Napoleon Bonaparte, who needed money for the war in Europe. This doubled the territory of the US and laid the foundation for future westward expansion.

In 1819, an agreement was reached with Spain to take possession of Florida.

Seven years earlier, on June 19, 1812, the US had declared war on Great Britain. Tensions rose as British warships repeatedly captured US merchant ships on their way to Europe. The US viewed the British naval blockades and trade restrictions as a violation of its sovereignty and freedom of trade. In addition, the British captured thousands of American sailors and forced them to serve in the Royal Navy. Finally, the British held fortified positions in the Appalachian Territory, preventing the Americans from occupying the land of Indigenous peoples. Another point of contention was that both countries laid claim to Canadian territory.

The British-American War was also referred to as the Second War of Independence by then-President James Madison. It ended on December 24, 1814, with the signing of the peace treaty. The Americans finally felt that they were perceived as an independent power internationally.

In 1823, James Monroe emphasized that the US had never participated in the wars of European powers and did not intend to interfere in European affairs in the future. "It is only when our rights are invaded or seriously menaced that we resent injuries or make preparation for our defense," Monroe declared.

He explicitly included the Caribbean and Latin America in his speech. Monroe affirmed that the US would never abandon its "southern brethren" — European interference there would amount to a "manifestation of an unfriendly disposition toward the United States."

In return, the US would respect the continued existence of the remaining colonies.

At first, Monroe's speech was seen as an expression of solidarity. The former colonies of North and South America stabilized as independent states, despite European efforts at recolonization.

In 1867, Russia also withdrew and sold Alaska to the US.

In the early 20th century, the United States had become a major global political power. In 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt expanded the Monroe Doctrine with an addition known as the "Roosevelt Corollary." This stated that the US had the right to intervene in Latin American countries to prevent what he described as "chronic misbehavior" and "instability." From then on, the US was perceived by its "southern brethren" as a police force, while Latin America was regarded by the US government as the "backyard" of the US.

In 1954, amid the Cold War, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower announced a further extension of the Monroe Doctrine: the so-called "domino theory." The goal? To combat communism and prevent one country after another from falling under the influence of the Soviet Union. This was the justification for the war against North Vietnam. It was followed by numerous secret service interventions and military invasions in Nicaragua, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Guatemala, Chile, Grenada and, most recently, Venezuela, when President Nicolas Maduro was captured and taken to the United States.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Monroe Doctrine was somewhat forgotten.

But Donald Trump invoked it early in his first presidency, arguing that the People's Republic of China's involvement "in our backyard" was an unacceptable violation of Washington's fundamental interests.

It has been referred to once again in Trump's second term in the 2025 US National Security Strategy: "After years of neglect, the United States will reassert and enforce the Monroe Doctrine to restore American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere."

Following the capture of Maduro by American security forces, Trump said: "The Monroe Doctrine is a big deal, but we've superseded it by a lot, by a real lot. They now call it the Donroe Doctrine."

It was the New York Post that first dubbed Trump's reactivated Monroe Doctrine the "Donroe Doctrine," referring to the president's first name, Donald. "The term Donroe Doctrine already sounds like Don Corleone, like something out of the Mafia," political scientist and American studies expert Bernd Greiner told the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. "And that's exactly how Trump conducts his politics. Unpredictability is his main currency, along with blackmail and intimidation, just like mafia gangs."

But the US president clearly approves of the name "Donroe Doctrine." And after the coup in Venezuela, he's already considering further actions in the name of the national security strategy. "Colombia is also very sick and is ruled by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States," Trump said, adding: "He's not going to be doing it for very long." And "something" will probably have to be done about Mexico, too — even though Trump says he respects the country's president — because Mexico is controlled by drug cartels, according to the US president.

And then there's Greenland, which Russia and China want to occupy, says Trump — which is why the US needs to own and defend it, because the Danes would not be able to cope with this threat: "I'd like to make a deal the easy way. But if we can't do it the easy way, we'll do it the hard way," he said.

This article was originally written in German.