Rubio may be Trump's 'good cop' — but their goal is the same: analysis

Donald Trump's foreign policy has taken a dramatic turn, from "isolationist" to "imperialistic", with moves like capturing former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and attempting to acquire Greenland, as noted by Mehdi Hasan in his February 17 op-ed for The Guardian.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has emphasized the importance of "empire" in his 2026 Munich Security Conference speech, issuing a "full-throated endorsement of empire" and arguing that the US must dominate, as quoted by Hasan, who criticizes Rubio's stance as a "love letter to conquest and colonialism".
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has confirmed that Trump is "very serious" about acquiring Greenland, with Trump even refusing to rule out the use of military force against Denmark, a NATO ally, as reported by Hasan, who argues that Trump and Rubio's goal is to "make empire great again".