The Man, the State, and Hypermasculinity: The Gendered Reordering of International Order in Trump’s National Security Strategy

Burcu Sarı Karademir

doi:10.53376/ap.2026.09

EN TR

The Man, the State, and Hypermasculinity: The Gendered Reordering of International Order in Trump’s National Security Strategy

Abstract

This article examines how Donald Trump’s hypermasculine presidential leadership reshaped the U.S.-led international order by centering hypermasculinity as a constitutive dimension of international order. While mainstream IR accounts explain transformations in U.S. foreign policy through shifts in power distribution, grand strategy, or leadership preferences, this article argues that such approaches neglect the gendered foundations through which U.S. primacy and hierarchical masculinities are constructed. Drawing on the concepts of gendered multilevel games, gendered leadership, and state hypermasculinity, it conceptualizes hypermasculinity as an interlocking governing rationality operating across multiple levels of analysis and across diplomatic, structural, spatial, and virtual dimensions of state power through presidential leadership. Focusing on Trump’s leadership and a feminist reading of the 2025 U.S. National Security Strategy, it demonstrates how hypermasculine governing rationalities reorganize international politics through differentiated masculinities, particularly via diplomatic hypermasculinity operationalized through feminization, infantilization, coercive transactionalism, and demands for gratitude. The article concludes that presidential hypermasculinity under conditions of U.S. primacy tends to reproduce security dilemmas as masculinity dilemmas rather than generating durable stability.

Keywords

Hypermasculinity, Leadership, Trump Doctrine, U.S. Foreign Policy, Gender and Security

Thanks

I would like to thank the Editorial Team of Alternatif Politika and the anonymous reviewers for their careful reading, constructive comments, and valuable suggestions.

Erkek, Devlet ve Hipererkeksilik: Trump’ın Ulusal Güvenlik Stratejisi’nde Uluslararası Düzenin Toplumsal Cinsiyetli Yeniden Düzenlenişi

Abstract

Bu makale, hipererkeksiliği uluslararası düzenin kurucu bir boyutu olarak ele alarak Donald Trump’ın hipererkeksi başkanlık liderliğinin ABD öncülüğündeki uluslararası düzeni nasıl dönüştürdüğünü incelemektedir. Anaakım Uluslararası İlişkiler yazını bu dönüşümleri güç dengesi, büyük strateji ya da lider tercihleri üzerinden açıklarken, bu makale söz konusu yaklaşımların ABD hegemonyasının ve hiyerarşik erkeksiliklerin inşa edildiği toplumsal cinsiyet temellerini göz ardı ettiğini ileri sürmektedir. Cinsiyetlendirilmiş çok düzeyli oyunlar, cinsiyetlendirilmiş liderlik ve devlet hipererkeksiliği kavramlarından hareket eden çalışma, hipererkeksiliği başkanlık liderliği aracılığıyla devlet iktidarının diplomatik, yapısal, mekânsal ve sanal boyutlarında işleyen iç içe geçmiş bir yönetim mantığı olarak kavramsallaştırmaktadır. Trump’ın liderliğine ve 2025 ABD Ulusal Güvenlik Stratejisi’nin feminist okumasına odaklanan makale, hipererkeksi yönetim mantığının uluslararası ilişkileri farklılaşmış erkeksilikler üzerinden nasıl yeniden düzenlediğini; bunun özellikle kadınsılaştırma, küçümseme, çıkarcı diplomasi ve minnet talepleri aracılığıyla işleyen diplomatik hipererkeksilik üzerinden nasıl hayata geçirildiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Makale, ABD askeri üstünlüğü koşullarında başkanlık hipererkeksiliğinin kalıcı istikrar üretmek yerine güvenlik ikilemlerini erkeklik ikilemleri olarak yeniden üretme eğiliminde olduğu sonucuna varmaktadır.

Keywords

Hipererkeklik, Liderlik, Trump Doktrini, ABD Dış Politikası, Toplumsal Cinsiyet ve Güvenlik

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

American Studies

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Burcu Sarı Karademir ^*
0000-0003-4992-2690
Türkiye

Publication Date

June 26, 2026

Submission Date

February 15, 2026

Acceptance Date

June 10, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 18 Number: 2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.53376/ap.2026.09

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA37RJ64DL

APA

Sarı Karademir, B. (2026). The Man, the State, and Hypermasculinity: The Gendered Reordering of International Order in Trump’s National Security Strategy. Alternatif Politika, 18(2), 246-278. https://doi.org/10.53376/ap.2026.09

AMA

1.Sarı Karademir B. The Man, the State, and Hypermasculinity: The Gendered Reordering of International Order in Trump’s National Security Strategy. Altern. Polit. 2026;18(2):246-278. doi:10.53376/ap.2026.09

Chicago

Sarı Karademir, Burcu. 2026. “The Man, the State, and Hypermasculinity: The Gendered Reordering of International Order in Trump’s National Security Strategy”. Alternatif Politika 18 (2): 246-78. https://doi.org/10.53376/ap.2026.09.

EndNote

Sarı Karademir B (June 1, 2026) The Man, the State, and Hypermasculinity: The Gendered Reordering of International Order in Trump’s National Security Strategy. Alternatif Politika 18 2 246–278.

IEEE

[1]B. Sarı Karademir, “The Man, the State, and Hypermasculinity: The Gendered Reordering of International Order in Trump’s National Security Strategy”, Altern. Polit., vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 246–278, June 2026, doi: 10.53376/ap.2026.09.

ISNAD

Sarı Karademir, Burcu. “The Man, the State, and Hypermasculinity: The Gendered Reordering of International Order in Trump’s National Security Strategy”. Alternatif Politika 18/2 (June 1, 2026): 246-278. https://doi.org/10.53376/ap.2026.09.

JAMA

1.Sarı Karademir B. The Man, the State, and Hypermasculinity: The Gendered Reordering of International Order in Trump’s National Security Strategy. Altern. Polit. 2026;18:246–278.

MLA

Sarı Karademir, Burcu. “The Man, the State, and Hypermasculinity: The Gendered Reordering of International Order in Trump’s National Security Strategy”. Alternatif Politika, vol. 18, no. 2, June 2026, pp. 246-78, doi:10.53376/ap.2026.09.

Vancouver

1.Burcu Sarı Karademir. The Man, the State, and Hypermasculinity: The Gendered Reordering of International Order in Trump’s National Security Strategy. Altern. Polit. 2026 Jun. 1;18(2):246-78. doi:10.53376/ap.2026.09

The Man, the State, and Hypermasculinity: The Gendered Reordering of International Order in Trump’s National Security Strategy

Abstract

Keywords

Thanks

Erkek, Devlet ve Hipererkeksilik: Trump’ın Ulusal Güvenlik Stratejisi’nde Uluslararası Düzenin Toplumsal Cinsiyetli Yeniden Düzenlenişi

Abstract

Keywords

References

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