As US President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs make their way through legal challenges, the United States Studies Centre (USSC) at the University of Sydney has launched a new report analysing the early days of the Trump administration, what to expect moving forward, and how international allies and partners can best navigate this tumultuous period.

In Unpacking Trump 2.0, 12 USSC experts provide their insights on the state of play, what is behind the headlines and how best to plan and respond amidst the rapid change in key policy areas. CEO Dr Michael Green noted, “While President Trump dominates the headlines with the dizzying changes and ongoing legal battles, the structures around the Executive Branch give us more clarity about what to expect going forward.”

Report editor Director of Research Jared Mondschein said, “Every day we are receiving questions about the latest executive order or diplomatic shift from President Trump. So we wanted to collect our analysis on everything from AUKUS to tariffs in order to provide solutions for government and businesses looking for their own pathway forward in this time.”

The compilation covers the policy areas of most significance to international allies and partners:

  • Alliances: Resilient if shaken by CEO Dr Michael Green
  • AUKUS: “What does that mean?” by Director of Foreign Policy and Defence Prof. Peter Dean
  • Ukraine: Moving beyond the 24-hour deadline by Senior Lecturer in US Politics and Foreign Policy Dr Gorana Grgic
  • Nuclear non-proliferation: Louder questions about extended deterrence by Research Fellow Dr Christopher Watterson
  • Defence spending: Short-term pains, mid-term gains? by Research Fellow Tom Corben
  • Critical minerals: Capturing US attention by Director of Economic Security Hayley Channer
  • Technology policy: Continuity with a twist by Non-Resident Fellow Helen Zhang and Research Associate Tom Barrett
  • China: A muddled but familiar strategy by Director of Research Jared Mondschein
  • Foreign aid: Disrupting a decades-old model by Non-Resident Senior Fellow Lester Munson
  • Tariffs: Uncertainty abounds by Senior Economic Adviser Dr John Kunkel
  • Climate and energy policies: Executing the Inflation Reduction Act by Non-Resident Fellow Lachlan Carey

“One theme that clearly emerged across these different issues is that simply playing defence for the next four years is not an effective strategy. Disruption brings opportunities and allies like Australia can shape the outcome,” Dr Green concluded.

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