Republican and Democratic Traditions in US Gulf Politics: Deciphering Trump-Biden Discrepancy

The U.S. Gulf policy during the presidencies of Donald Trump (2017-2021) and Joe Biden (2021-2025) differed significantly from each other, particularly in terms of rhetoric, but also showed relative continuity. How can this be explained? The main argument of this study is that answer of this question lays in understanding impact of traditions on U.S. policy. We argue that Trump’s focus on transactional partnerships with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, economic pragmatism, and steadfast opposition to Iran exemplified the Jacksonian tradition. In contrast, Biden’s rebalancing of ties with the Gulf states, emphasizing diplomacy, human rights, and revitalized multilateralism, particularly by increasing Qatar’s participation in regional affairs, demonstrated the Wilsonian-democratic legacy. However, these divergent patterns are underpinned by a deeper pattern of bipartisan convergence, driven by structural imperatives such as ensuring energy security, containing Iran and guaranteeing Israel’s security. Consequently, the Gulf region provides insight into the limits of partisanship and the resilience of strategic continuity in U.S. foreign policy.