The second Trump administration and the Anglo-American special relationship: A test of alliance persistence

The Anglo-American ‘Special Relationship’ has entered a new and uncertain era under the second Trump administration. Drawing on the theoretical framework of alliance persistence, this article analyses how President Trump’s ‘America First’ policies have reshaped the foundations and functions of the UK–US partnership. It argues that the revival of ‘America First’ nationalism has intensified the structural tension between bilateral cooperation and the multilateral commitments that both states share within organisations such as NATO. While the enduring institutionalisation of intelligence sharing, nuclear collaboration and military interoperability continues to anchor the alliance, these aspects have increasingly been conditioned by Washington’s transactional approach to burden-sharing and its scepticism towards multilateral frameworks. The article demonstrates that the second Trump administration’s foreign policy has eroded confidence in the partnership’s multilateral dimension, compelling the United Kingdom to assume greater responsibility for sustaining the special relationship.