President Donald J. Trump has announced a national security strategy that could be described as a kind of mercantilist realpolitik.

It advocates neither a liberal democratic (small d) nation-building strategy nor a muscle-flexing interventionist strategy.

Trump spoke out at length on the campaign trail against such policies of his two predecessors. Pursuing national interests overseas is in and trying to transform the rest of the world is out.

While George W. Bush led the U.S. into a quagmire in Iraq, at least America’s friends and enemies knew where he stood.

Barack Obama talked values and “led from behind,” and where did that get us? Particularly in the volatile Middle East it left a power vacuum now filled by America’s rivals or enemies.

Obama admitted the power vacuum left in Libya after toppling dictator Moammar Gadhafi was the worst mistake of his presidency. I wonder why he didn’t include his non-intervention in Syria after his repeated “red-lines” were crossed?

ISIS, the “JV team,” was allowed to germinate in Iraq-Syria due to Obama’s inaction. Today, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad is still firmly in power, supported by Iran and Russia-who are better placed strategically than ever.

The time has arrived for some Reagan-era peace through strength that took down the Soviet Union.

Trump’s strategy reflects the views of most hard-working, tax-paying Americans, who are tired of seeing their dollars wasted on foreign adventures, or worse, retreat from hard-fought victories.

Photo: President Donald J. Trump gives a thumbs-up to members of the audience during remarks to staff at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) headquarters in Langley, Virginia, Jan. 21, 2017. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)