Pax Trumpiana

Bart De Wever, the newly sworn-in Prime Minister of Belgium since February 3, 2025, is no minor figure—he is the first Flemish nationalist ever to hold that post, previously serving as Mayor of Antwerp and longtime leader of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA). When asked for his favorite Roman emperor, he chose Augustus. Not Julius Caesar the conqueror, nor Nero the pyromaniac, but the leader who restored order from chaos and built the Pax Romana, a nearly two-century era of peace that shaped Western civilization.

That endorsement matters, because it signals a deeper truth: peace and prosperity are rarely born from weakness, but from decisive leadership. Today, across the Atlantic, Donald Trump offers a modern echo of that ancient formula. He may have been cast aside by the elite as an outsider, but like Augustus, he tapped into a narrative of decline—and promised restoration.

Augustus: From underestimated heir to beacon of stability

Augustus—then Gaius Octavius—entered the political scene underwhelmingly young, his only credential a famous name. He stepped into an empire torn apart by civil war. From Caesar’s assassination to the struggles against Brutus, Cassius, Antony, and Cleopatra, Rome teetered on collapse.

Augustus ultimately prevailed. His moment came at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, defeating Antony and Cleopatra in a triumph of Roman discipline over decadent indulgence. Though he promised to restore the republic, he remained in power for 45 years. Under his rule, moral reforms, infrastructure, and economic stability flourished. The Pax Romana—peace built atop autocratic foundations—was born.

Trump: The modern architect of restoration

Donald Trump, too, burst onto the scene as an unexpected outsider. No career politician—just a businessman and TV star. He capitalized on growing unrest: economic insecurity, social fragmentation, and a fading belief in American greatness.

His 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton was his own Actium—an establishment-defying triumph. His rallying cry, “Make America Great Again,” promised a return to strength, tradition, and pride.

A narrative of decline—and the promise of renewal

The New York Times captured a timeless dynamic well:

“The narrative of decline allowed politicians throughout Rome’s history to claim that Rome simultaneously was the greatest civilization on Earth and was in the sort of grave political crisis that required extraordinary and often unconstitutional political intervention.”

Augustus embraced it, striking against perceived moral decay. Trump mirrors his playbook—decrying “woke culture,” global instability, and moral relativism as threats to American identity.

Pax Romana and Pax Trumpiana: Parallels of peace forged through strength

Augustus’ critics accused him of dismantling the republic—but without his strong hand, Rome might have collapsed permanently. Instead, he delivered peace and foundations for centuries of Western civilization.

Trump’s critics voice similar concerns—he challenges institutions, sometimes with forceful rhetoric. But his supporters could invoke Augustus’ legacy: sometimes only a bold leader can restore order and greatness.

Could America achieve a Pax Trumpiana—a sustained peace rooted in strength? Forcing all to accept peace at imposed terms with the Abaraham Accords as most prominent example.

Standing with allies: Ukraine and Israel

A Pax Trumpiana need not only reform America internally—it could also translate into a renewed Western leadership that secures allies such as Ukraine and Israel. These nations face existential threats—against Russian aggression and Middle Eastern instability respectively—that demand unwavering support. A triumvirate of made of Russia, North-Korea and China could pose a clear and present danger for Western civilization.

If Trump’s version of Pax Trumpiana endures, America might again become its allies’ shield—active, assertive, and respected—much like Rome’s stable backing once enabled distant provinces to thrive.

Will Pax Trumpiana last as long as Pax Romana?

Augustus’ peace endured nearly two centuries. Trump’s reconciliation of global leadership and domestic renewal has just begun. Will his version stand the test of time?

As history teaches: restoration requires boldness. The greatest empires were built not through consensus alone, but through leaders who acted decisively in times of decline.

Augustus was not merely a figure of the past—he was a blueprint. Trump, in his own way, channels that same design for leadership today. The final judgment is not yet written. Should a Pax Trumpiana endure, America—and its allies—may one day look back and recognize that a season of strength gave rise to a new age of peace. Yet history is always filtered through the lens of time, and more importantly, through the pens of those who record it. The press of our day dwells obsessively on the dangers of authority, while politicians freely revere historical strongmen without daring to acknowledge the parallels unfolding before their eyes.