The trajectory of U.S. foreign policy is likely to take two starkly divergent paths, neither of which was the conventional wisdom just a few days ago.

The Biden path would lead to a return to a relatively bipartisan, internationalist U.S. approach to the world. The other is “America First” on steroids.

If Joe Biden ends up winning the presidency, he will most likely face a Republican-led Senate and a weakened Democratic majority in the House. This will require him to seek help from Republican lawmakers with common interests to assemble his administration and advance his agenda.

Foreign policy is the best opportunity for a Biden administration to succeed in getting some Republicans on board.

This could mean a quick return to irrelevance for the progressive wing of Biden’s own party, which was betting on Democrats being so powerful that post-election negotiations over policy and personnel would occur between the two sides of their own caucus.

Just before the election, progressive foreign policy officials in Congress were publicly airing their plans to bargain for Cabinet positions and agenda items.

The election vote has changed all of that.

Now, even if Biden does win, he will likely need Republican Senate votes just to confirm his team.

Biden officials have consistently said they want to work with centrist Republicans who share their overall national security vision.

But will a GOP that finds itself back in opposition want to play along?

“It’s really up to the Republicans,” said Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.), a former State Department official who just won his first reelection.

“There are plenty of Democrats including Joe Biden who want to forge that common ground. So the question is, will the Republicans who actually claim to agree with those principles, who think the McCain-Romney vision for foreign policy is the right one, will help Biden whn his vision overlaps with theirs? He is going to need that help.”

Several GOP foreign policy operatives have said that, if Biden is elected and Republicans retain control of the Senate, GOP leaders anticipate having significant leverage, especially regarding senior-level appointments.

The idea is not to thwart all potential Biden nominees, but to pressure a Biden administration to avoid appointing far-left progressives and former Obama administration officials that the Fox News crowd already dislike.

Some Democratic lawmakers say Biden’s foreign policy was always closer to the traditional GOP approach of alliances, free trade, overt support for American values abroad and robust U.S. engagement on several continents.

If Trump somehow manages to squeeze out a reelection victory, they say, it will be a doomsday scenario for internationalists in both parties.

Joe Bidens Foreign Police Statement 2019:

The Power of America's Example : The Biden Plan For Meeting The Challenges Of The 21st Century.

Arguing that USA policies at home and abroad are deeply connected, Joe Biden said in 2019 that, as president, he would advance the security, prosperity, and values of the United States by taking immediate steps to place America at the head of the table, leading the world to address the most urgent global challenges. 

In a Biden administration, America will lead by example, from climate change to nuclear proliferation, from great power aggression to transnational terrorism, from cyberwarfare to mass migration.

Previous policies have failed to uphold basic democratic principles have surrendered America's position in the world, undermined the USA's democratic alliances, weakened its ability to mobilize others to meet these challenges, and threatened American security and their future.

In a speech at The Graduate Center at CUNY in New York, Joe Biden laid out his blueprint to repair the damage wrought by President Trump and chart a fundamentally different course for American foreign policy for the world as we find it today—and as we anticipate it will be tomorrow.

Strenghtening The Coalition Of Democracies That Stand With Us.

America’s ability to be a force for progress in the world and to mobilize collective action starts at home. The United States must lead not just with the example of power, but the power of our example.

During his first year in office, President Biden will bring together the world’s democracies to honestly confront the challenge of nations that are backsliding, and forge a common agenda to a

Renew America's World Leadership Status:

The world does not organize itself. American leadership, backed by clear goals and sound strategies, is necessary to effectively address the defining global challenges of our time.

In order to lead again, America must restore its credibility and influence.

From day one of a Biden administration, other countries will once again have reason to trust and respect the word of an American president.

Working together, Biden said, democracies can and must confront the rise of populists, nationalists, and demagogues; the growing strength of autocratic powers and their efforts to divide and manipulate democracies; and the threats unique to our time, including the renewed threat of nuclear war, mass migration, the disruptive impact of new technologies, and climate change.

Elevate Diplomacy:

As president, Biden would elevate diplomacy to its proper position as the premier tool of our global engagement.

Joe will rebuild a modern, agile U.S. Department of State—investing in and re-empowering the finest diplomatic corps in the world, leveraging the full talent and richness of America’s diversity.

Working cooperatively with other nations will make the USA more secure and more successful.

Restore and Reimagine Partnerships:

A Biden administration will do more than restore our historic partnerships; it will lead the effort to reimagine them for the future.

This means keeping NATO’s military capabilities sharp, while also expanding our capacity to take on new, non-traditional threats like weaponized corruption, cyber theft, and new challenges in space and on the high seas.

America will calling on all NATO nations to recommit to their responsibilities as members of a democratic alliance; and strengthening cooperation with democratic partners beyond North America and Europe by reaching out to our partners in Asia.

When the United States hosts the next Summit of the Americas in 2021, President Biden will harness that opportunity to rebuild strong hemispheric ties based on respect for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

Joe will also strengthen our alliances with Australia, Japan, South Korea and other Asia-Pacific democracies.

End Forever Wars:

Biden will move to end the forever wars in Afghanistan and the Middle East, which have cost us untold blood and treasure.

As he has long argued, Biden will bring the vast majority of our troops home from Afghanistan and narrowly focus our mission on Al-Qaeda and ISIS.

Biden said he will end support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen.

Renew our Commitment to Arms Control for a New Era: 

The historic Iran nuclear deal, negotiated by the Obama-Biden administration alongside our allies and other world powers, blocked Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.

If Tehran returns to compliance with the deal, President Biden would re-enter the agreement, using hard-nosed diplomacy and support from our allies to strengthen and extend it, while more effectively pushing back against Iran’s other destabilizing activities. 

In North Korea, President Biden will empower our negotiators and jump start a sustained, coordinated campaign with our allies and others, including China, to advance our shared objective of a denuclearized North Korea. 

Rally the World to Address the Existential Climate Crisis:

The Biden administration will rejoin the Paris Climate Accord on day one and lead a major diplomatic push to raise the ambitions of countries’ climate targets, and at home aim for net-zero emissions by 2050,