Supported by Mike Pompeo and John Bolton, President Trump is seeking to take direct control over foreign policy decisions, despite the difficulty of fitting the Trump doctrine into the narrative of American diplomatic relations. With the appointment of Pompeo and Bolton, the administration has put its cards on the table, with a strategy of permanent tension vis-à-vis Iran, Syria, and North Korea. Calls to observe norms and values remain unheeded in the face of a strategy focusing on interests.