Marco Rubio must convince Europe that America First 2.0 has replaced Biden-era US decline

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has a historic opportunity at this week’s Munich Security Conference to define what an “America First” foreign policy means for Europe in President Trump’s second term.If he builds on four key themes from his Senate confirmation testimony last month, he can offer both clarity and reassurance to allies wary of Trump 2.0.Many European leaders fear that America seeks to withdraw from the world.In Munich, Rubio can calm their nerves — and make clear that the new era of American diplomacy is one of strength, not retreat.The setting for Rubio’s first major European speech is as symbolic as it is strategic.The annual conference in Munich draws top officials and policymakers from across the globe.This idyllic German city is also a frequent stage for making history, for better or worse.It was in Munich where Neville Chamberlain met Hitler, only to fail disastrously in his quest for peace.It was also in Munich where, in 2007, Vladimir Putin claimed Russia posed no threat to European peace — before launching invasions of Georgia and Ukraine.For Rubio’s visit, the task must be to set the record straight on “America First.”First, he should draw a sharp contrast between past complacency and the present moment.In his inaugural address, Trump framed American leadership as a stark choice: between presiding over Western decline or restoring its strength.“From this moment on, America’s decline is over,” he declared.But as Trump has identified the problem, adversaries are manipulating the mechanisms of the old post-World War II “order” to advance their interests at the expense of America’s own.At his confirmation hearing, Rubio put it bluntly: “The postwar global order is not just obsolete; it is now a weapon being used against us.”Second, Rubio should articulate an uncomfortable fact the Europeans already recognize: The postwar order failed to maintain peace in their region — and elsewhere.America suffers for it, bu...