Washington (CNN) The 45th president entered office raging against a post-WWII order built by the United States, pledging instead that he would put "America First.
The US, President Donald Trump said during his campaign, could no longer afford to be the world's policeman. On the stump he also dismissed core alliances in Europe and Asia, raged at trade pacts, derided international organizations such as the UN and trash-talked allies (Mexico) and competitors (China) alike.
Trump voters clash over his shifting views
But since his inauguration, Trump has steadily reversed course on those fronts and a host of others.
The populist president has now embraced NATO, reaffirmed relationships with allies, reinforced international norms against chemical weapons use by bombing Syria and has sent more US troops to help rein in global conflicts.
Almost 100 days after Trump entered the White House dismissing the international system, Trump seems to be assuming a US president's traditional foreign policy role: being that system's biggest defender.
"It's a total 180," said James Jeffrey, a former US ambassador to Iraq and Turkey. "And to a certain degree, it's right."
Rhetoric hits reality
Analysts in Washington and overseas say a number of factors are at work, including the reality of dealing with global events, appeals from foreign leaders and the rise of experienced foreign policy mavens to Cabinet positions.
But some caution that the President, with no foreign policy experience, hundreds of unfilled national security staff positions and a reliance on equally inexperienced family members, is a reactive and tactical leader who still lacks a strategic vision -- preferring to disseminate his thoughts in 140-character bursts.
They also point to the fact that many of the problems shadowing Trump's presidency in these first few months are tied to potentially compromising connections his circle has with global entities.
The FBI is investigating whether there was any coordination between the Trump campaign and Moscow while Russia was allegedly hacking Democratic organizations to benefit the Republican candidate during 2016. Trump's first national security adviser, retired Gen. Michael Flynn, had to step down after a controversial call with the Russian ambassador, while his work as a foreign agent during the transition has drawn scrutiny. Meanwhile, the Trump family still maintains myriad international business holdings.
Heather Conley, director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said these ties should check the optimism of any observers who think Trump is adopting a reassuringly standard approach to foreign policy.
"We're comforting ourselves that this is normal and we should resist that view," she said.
Learning curve
Every president goes through a learning curve and Trump is no exception.
"There's no school for president," said Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East peace negotiator for the State Department now at the Wilson Center. "The issue for me is, is he learning? That's the key question."
Trump up close: Photos from the first 100 days
Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States during
his inauguration ceremony on Friday, January 20. Trump's wife, Melania, is holding a family Bible and a Bible that belonged to former President Abraham Lincoln. Next to Melania, from left, are Trump's children: Barron, Donald Jr., Ivanka, Tiffany and Eric.
Trump holds up a letter Sunday, January 22, that was left for him by former President Barack Obama. "I just went to the Oval Office and found this beautiful letter from President Obama. It was really very nice of him to do that. And I will cherish that," said Trump,
who frequently criticized Obama on the campaign trail. Trump wouldn't tell the press what was in the letter.
Trump, left, watches Vice President Mike Pence swear in senior White House staff members on January 22. Trump said he and his aides will "face many challenges, but with the faith in each other and the faith in God we will get the job done."
Trump sits in front of a jacket that was given to him by the crew of Air Force One on Thursday, January 26. It was his first trip aboard the plane and Marine One.
Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan shake hands in front of Vice President Pence during a luncheon with GOP lawmakers on January 26. Trump
previewed an ambitious governing agenda during his speech. "This Congress is going to be the busiest Congress we've had in decades, maybe ever," he said. "This is our chance to achieve great and lasting change for our beloved nation."
Trump speaks in the East Room of the White House as he announces Neil Gorsuch
as his Supreme Court nominee on Tuesday, January 31. Gorsuch -- at right with his wife, Louise -- would replace Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last year.
Trump
met with several African-American leaders for a listening session to kick off Black History Month on Wednesday, February 1. Trump was seated between Ben Carson, his nominee to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Omarosa Manigault, a former "Apprentice" contestant who is now part of the administration.
Trump puts his hand on the shoulder of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson after
Tillerson was sworn in on February 1. They are joined by Vice President Pence and Tillerson's wife, Renda St. Clair. Tillerson, a former CEO of ExxonMobil, was
confirmed in the Senate by a vote of 56 to 43.
Trump tosses a Sharpie pen back to a group of supporters after signing autographs in Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday, February 3. Trump was spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort, which has become
a popular trip so far during his presidency.
Trump listens to a high school marching band as he arrives at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday, February 5. The President and first lady attended a Super Bowl party there.
Trump waves as he boards Air Force One in Tampa, Florida, on Monday, February 6. He met generals and troops during
a trip to MacDill Air Force Base, the headquarters of Central Command and Special Operations Command.
Trump meets with members of the US airline industry on Thursday, February 9. Trump said he knows US airlines are "under pressure from a lot of foreign elements and foreign carriers." But he added that "we want to make life good for them also." Foreign carriers buy lots of planes and jet engines from US manufacturers, and that supports thousands of well-paying factory jobs at home. During
the meeting, Trump also promised that the United States would invest in transportation infrastructure, improving the nation's airports and air traffic control system.
Trump offers his hand to Jeff Sessions, who had just been sworn in as the new attorney general on February 9. Sessions, one of Trump's closest advisers and his earliest supporter in the US Senate,
was confirmed by a 52-47 vote that was mostly along party lines. He was accompanied to the swearing-in by his wife, Mary.
Trump welcomes Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe outside the West Wing of the White House on Friday, February 10. The two leaders
held Oval Office talks and had lunch together in the State Dining Room. The next day, they traveled to Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort and played golf together.
Trump and Abe were dining at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday, February 11, when they got the call that North Korea had launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile. They gathered their teams for
an impromptu strategy session that could be seen by other diners at the resort. This photo was posted by a Mar-a-Lago member on Facebook and quickly spread on the Internet.
Trump speaks during a news conference in the East Room of the White House on Thursday, February 16. The President
lashed out against the media and what he called fake news as he displayed a sense of anger and grievance rarely vented by a president in public. He said he resented reports that his White House was in chaos. "This administration is running like a fine-tuned machine," he said.
Trump hugs supporter Gene Huber after
he invited Huber to speak on stage during a rally in Melbourne, Florida, on Saturday, February 18. Huber, wearing a black Donald Trump T-shirt, thanked the President and spoke for a few moments.
White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, left, listens to Trump as Marine One lands on the South Lawn of the White House on Monday, February 20. Prior to joining the Trump administration, Priebus was chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Trump delivers remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday, February 24. Speaking to a right-wing crowd of activists that once viewed him skeptically,
Trump vowed to uphold his campaign promises. He also escalated his attacks on the press and vowed an economic revival spurred by new jobs and scaled-back regulation.
White House Adviser Kellyanne Conway takes an Oval Office photo of Trump and leaders of historically black colleges and universities on Monday, February 27. The image of her kneeling on the couch
sparked memes on social media.
Trump applauds Carryn Owens during his speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, February 28. Owens' husband, Navy SEAL William "Ryan" Owens, was killed during a recent mission in Yemen. "Ryan died as he lived: a warrior and a hero, battling against terrorism and securing our nation," Trump said. The
applause in the chamber lasted over a minute, which Trump said must be a record.
The President and his grandchildren Arabella and Joseph walk across the South Lawn of the White House on Friday, March 3. They were about to board Marine One for a short flight to Andrews Air Force Base.
Trump, left, and chief strategist Steve Bannon board Air Force One before returning to Washington on Sunday, March 5. Bannon, one of Trump's earliest cheerleaders in his role leading the ultra-conservative website Breitbart News, joined the Trump campaign in August 2016.
According to CNN's Chris Cillizza, he was widely credited with putting skin and muscle on the bare bones of Trump's "America First" worldview.
Trump
surprises visitors who were touring the White House on Tuesday, March 7. The tour group, including many young children, cheered and screamed after the President popped out from behind a room divider.
Trump moves a drink across the table before a White House discussion about health care on Friday, March 10. The President's habit of moving things caught the eye of CNN's Jeanne Moos,
who reported on the unusual quirk.
Trump, the first lady and their son, Barron, walk to Marine One before leaving the White House on Friday, March 17. Melania and Barron Trump are living in New York until Barron finishes out the school year.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, speaks with Ivanka Trump during a roundtable discussion at the White House on Friday, March 17. In Merkel's
first US visit during the Trump administration, she and the President discussed issues that included NATO, ISIS and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Donald Trump
repeatedly bashed Merkel on the campaign trail and accused her of "ruining Germany," citing the nation's policies of allowing refugees in. But he said his meeting with the Chancellor was "very good."
Trump waits at the White House before greeting Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Monday, March 20.
The President arrives at the US Capitol to meet with House Republicans about a health care bill on Tuesday, March 21. Trump
urged GOP lawmakers to vote in favor of the legislation, which would repeal Obamacare. But later in the week, House Speaker Paul Ryan
pulled the bill from the floor after it became clear it did not have the votes to pass.
The President participates in a White House roundtable with women who are small business owners on Monday, March 27.
Vice President Mike Pence, third from left, tries to stop Trump as Trump
walks out of an executive order signing ceremony on Friday, March 31. During the signing ceremony, White House pool reporters asked Trump questions about former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who has offered to testify on Russian involvement in the US election. The President ignored the questions and moved to another room to sign the two executive orders, which regarded trade policy.
In pouring rain, the President boards Air Force One for a trip to Florida, where he would meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, April 6.
Trump speaks to the press aboard Air Force One on April 6. The Internet
had some fun with the juxtaposition of Trump and "Star Wars" villain Darth Vader, who appeared in the scene on the right from the film "Rogue One."
Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are accompanied by first ladies Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan as they talk at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on April 6.
During Xi's visit, the trade relationship between China and the United States was at the top of the agenda, as was the rising threat of North Korea's nuclear program.
In this image provided by the White House, Trump is briefed by his national security team about
the missile strike in Syria on April 6. They were at a secured location on Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.
Trump walks away from the lectern after
announcing the missile strike in Syria on April 6. "It is in this vital national security of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons," Trump said.
Trump talks to a caddie during a round of golf in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday, April 8. Trump frequently criticized President Obama for playing golf,
but he has been a frequent golfer during his first few months in office.
Miller and Jeffrey pointed to the fact that Trump has surrounded himself with deeply experienced advisers, notably Defense Secretary James Mattis and national security adviser H.R. McMaster.
They "believe deeply in this system, and there's a reason we believe in this system, because the alternative is chaos," Jeffrey said.
Trump has shown a willingness to defer to them, Miller added.
Before his election, Trump backed torture. After taking office, he reversed course, saying Mattis had told him he'd always done better with "a pack of cigarettes and a couple of beers."
Others, though, say giving them a seat at the table isn't enough.
"I'm heartened by the fact that he appears to be listening to the counsel of those people," said Christine Wormuth, a former undersecretary of defense in the Obama administration. "I would not go so far as to say I'm optimistic."
Her concern, she said, is that "it's not clear to me President Trump has a real strategic vision for the role the United States should be playing."
"I have a sense of what America First means to him in terms of trade, but trade is only one dimension of our foreign policy," said Wormuth, a senior advisor in the CSIS International Security Program. "It's one thing to say he wants better deals with this country or that country. What about problems outside the trade sphere?"
Military power
Trump has largely turned to the military to address global flashpoints, sending the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula last week, dropping the "Mother of All Bombs" on ISIS positions in Afghanistan on April 13 and sending Tomahawk missiles into Syria the week before.
At the same time, he's moving to drastically cut the State Department budget, Wormuth noted.
"Everyone is focused on the Tomahawk strike, the dust-up with North Korea," Wormuth said. "Those were tactical responses. Eventually the Trump administration is going to have to have an actual strategy and there's going to have to be a diplomatic component if we're going to have any real success."
Miller pointed to an ongoing Trump evolution in which "the realities of what it takes to campaign are giving way to the realities of governance, and that means adopting positions that are well considered and thought through."
He points to an early declaration that the US would move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the contested city of Jerusalem; the Trump campaign's dismissal of the Export-Import Bank; and the suggestion that Japan and South Korea develop their own nuclear weapons. All these positions seem to have quietly been abandoned.
Earlier this month, Trump alluded to the difference between campaigning and engaging with the world. The President's most pressing security challenge may be North Korea, which is poised to conduct a sixth nuclear test in its increasingly aggressive pursuit of a nuclear weapon and the means to deliver it. Trump wants China to help with the challenge.
Trump wrote on Twitter over the Easter weekend, "Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem?"
Foreign leaders have also had some sway, said Jeffrey, particularly Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu and leaders from Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia.
"The system has been very good to them," Jeffrey said of the global order, and they get "nervous" with a president "who comes in and disses the whole thing."
He continued, "They all march off to Washington and plead to him, 'Be the world's policeman,' and he agreed."
Coming around on NATO
Jeffrey believes the shift in Trump's view was reflected when Mattis, Vice President Mike Pence and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly affirmed the US commitment to NATO at a German security conference in February.
"That's the moment when I think people started breathing a sigh of relief," Jeffrey said. "In that sense, it's a return to normal."
Others aren't yet sure. Miller pointed to Trump's mercurial character. "People don't fundamentally change," he said. "Can you keep your demons in check? It gets to fundamental questions of character."
Wormuth also questioned whether Trump can learn to be consistent: "Part of what's important in foreign policy is consistency and clarity in what you're communicating to your friends and enemies. Deploying unpredictabilty every now and then has value, but being seen by your allies as unreliable is dangerous."
Conley, of CSIS, said the damage is already done. "Our foreign policy used to be built on principles, the international trading order, international law, the security framework," she said. "When you shake those foundations, no one can rely on anything."
She pointed to the way longtime US allies are hedging, with Europe increasing its defense spending and Japan and Middle Eastern countries adjusting their defense posture and boosting arms purchases. The EU has made warmer overtures to China and issued a strategic document that stressed the need to lessen its reliance on the US.
Those alliances are "like a vase," Conley said. "Once broken, you can glue it back together, but it's never as strong as it once was."