National security represents the paramount responsibility for any American president. The 2024 ballot took place in the shadow of disruptive global perils, including major conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, intensifying strategic competition with China, and a surge of migrants from around the world along America’s southern border. America’s approach to the world—especially its engagement with allies and partners—has a profound impact on the rules and norms of the international system that have underpinned American security for decades and advanced global peace and prosperity.
