Fighting Isolationism on Two Fronts

With House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to Taiwan in the face of threats from China and the Senate’s voting overwhelmingly to support NATO expansion for Sweden and Finland, it would appear that there is bipartisan agreement that America needs to take an active role on the global stage.

But that consensus may be a bit of a mirage, as there are ideological forces on the edges of both sides of the ideological divide that would rather the United States influence no place beyond its waters. Perhaps this desire comes from recency bias, isolationists having seen the suffering in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past two decades.

About the Author

Charles Hilu

Charles Hilu is a national affairs reporter at National Review. A graduate of the University of Michigan, he previously worked at the Washington Free Beacon and The Dispatch before joining National Review in 2026.

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With House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to Taiwan in the face of threats from China and the Senate’s voting overwhelmingly to support NATO expansion for Sweden and Finland, it would appear that there is bipartisan agreement that America needs to take an active role on the global stage.

But that consensus may be a bit of a mirage, as there are ideological forces on the edges of both sides of the ideological divide that would rather the United States influence no place beyond its waters. Perhaps this desire comes from recency bias, isolationists having seen the suffering in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past two decades.

About the Author

Charles Hilu

Charles Hilu is a national affairs reporter at National Review. A graduate of the University of Michigan, he previously worked at the Washington Free Beacon and The Dispatch before joining National Review in 2026.