It’s difficult to determine why Trump would see this neoconservative posturing as a winning strategy. It did not work for Bush; indeed, many see Bush’s legacy as forever tainted by the failures of the Iraq War. But Barack Obama, who also ran for president with more measured foreign policy goals, did not fully withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq and Afghanistan and struggled to adhere to his former foreign policy stances when the Arab Spring erupted throughout the Middle East.

Perhaps those at the head of our executive branch often feel responsible to “do something”: to appear as tough as possible on the world stage, to put teeth behind the concept “leader of the free world.” Perhaps, in the aftermath of 9/11, these presidents fear appearing lax or unvigilant.

But jumping recklessly into more military commitments and wars abroad is not truly tough, and it is not putting “America first.” For Americans who hoped Trump would distance himself from the harmful foreign policy strategies of his two predecessors, the last week’s developments should be an alarming wakeup call. This is not what realism or restraint look like—and this is not how to effectively advance American interests in the world.