Abstract. Donald Trump won the presidential race by drawing on the support of “everyday Americans” who do not trust professional politicians and demand an about-face of the political course to serve their interest. By opposing the bureaucratic establishment, the newly elected president has entered into confrontation with the so-called “deep state”. Trump met with unprecedented resistance from the state apparatus, government institutions, and a large part of the Republican Party and the Republican-controlled Congress who also impede or constrain his foreign policy decisions and their implementation. Accusations against Trump and members of his team that get overblown by the media undermine the president’s legitimacy and limit the space for his actions. This is paralleled by growing influence of security sector and of active or former military figures on the U.S. foreign policy. There remain virtually no state institutions in the United States with a vested interest in abandoning power politics and reinvigorating negotiation efforts. The president’s own preference for loyal individuals rather than professionals in key government positions further increases the role of personalist politics, adding to the lack of coherence and predictability of the administration’s foreign and military course.