We Win They Lose

Republican Foreign Policy and the New Cold War

by: Matthew Kroenig & Dan Negrea

In 1977, then presidential candidate Ronald Reagan was discussing foreign affairs when he said, “My idea of American policy toward the Soviet Union is simple, and some would say simplistic. It is this: We win, and they lose.” Three years later, Reagan was elected president; by the time he left office, the United States had won the First Cold War.

Today, a New Cold War has started, this time with the People’s Republic of China (PRC). While Beijing challenged the United States for many years, Washington only awoke to this reality in 2017 when President Donald J. Trump declared “great power competition” with China and Russia as the greatest threat facing the nation. We are in the early days of the New Cold War, and Washington is still struggling to define a clear China strategy.

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Reviews

“Increasingly we see an axis of authoritarian powers arrayed against the Free World, attacking the peace and freedom that American strength protects. Matthew Kroenig and Dan Negrea, two of our nation’s sharpest froeign policy minds, not only compellingly connect these threats, but also articulate a strategic framework for confronting them that can unite all Americans. Our New Cold War with the Chinese Community Party may be more complex and dangerous than the old Cold War with the Soviet Union, but if we follow Kroenig and Negrea’s counsel, freedom can once again prevail over communism.”

Congressman Mike Gallagher, Chaiman of the Select Committee on the CCP

“Matthew Kroenig and Dan Negrea capture the essence of what Ronald Reagan’s and Donald Trump’s successful foreign policies had in common: winning. Both Reagan and Trump understood that everyday Americans want Team USA to prevail over the communists, dictators, and terrorists who bring so much misery into the world. Matthew and Dan explain how pursuing ‘peace through strength’ led to so many accomplishments on the world stage by these two great Republican presidents.”

Robert C. O'Brien, 27th US National Security Advisor

“In We Win, They Lose: Republican Foreign Policy and the New Cold War, Matthew Kroenig and Dan Negrea take on one of the most significant questions of our times, particularly in light of 2024 elections and the ongoing war in Ukraine: What is the future of Republican foreign policy? Drawing on the experiences of the Reagan and Trump administrations, they provide a must-read for anyone wanting a comprehensive understanding of the past, present, and future of GOP foreign policy-and how it all hangs together.”

Frederick Kempe, President and CEO, Atlantic Council

“Since Donald Trump’s election in 2016, debate has raged between opposing Republican factions over the trajectory of conservative foreign policy. Kroenig and Negrea’s book stands as an important contribution to that debate. Students and scholars seeking insights into the battle over Republican foreign policy will find much to admire in this well-crafted book.”

Walter Russell Mead, Global View Columnist, Wall Street Journal