Trump's Inconsistent Sanctions Policy Undermines U.S. Economic Leverage

Donald Trump has long treated sanctions as a flexible bargaining chip, a stance that intensified in his second term. Campaign rhetoric framed sanctions as harmful to U.S. interests, and a September 2024 speech urged minimal use, warning that over-use could damage the dollar. Accordingly, his administration swiftly lifted sanctions on Syria after a visit to Riyadh, repealed the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, and issued numerous licenses that opened U.S. markets to Venezuela under its new leadership.

While he has targeted Russian oil giants like Rosneft and Lukoil, he has not extended secondary sanctions to curb Russian LNG shipments, enabling Chinese buyers to absorb the flow. Domestically, Trump employed the Global Magnitsky Act to blacklist Brazilian judge Alexander de Moraes and Colombian President Gustavo Petro, actions later questioned in court. Legal challenges to designations of UN officials Francesca Albanese and ICC prosecutors have resulted in a preliminary injunction, though the administration secured a stay to re-impose the sanctions. These inconsistent moves risk eroding the credibility and effectiveness of U.S. sanctions as a tool of international policy.