As President Joe Biden embarks on his first official visit to sub-Saharan Africa, marking his anticipated final overseas journey before leaving office, questions loom over the true significance of this trip. With just a month left in his presidency, the purpose of Biden’s African sojourn — which includes stops in Angola and Cape Verde — appears more symbolic than substantive, especially as his foreign policy legacy faces the looming shadow of a potential return to Donald Trump’s combative isolationist stance.
The Biden administration has long championed initiatives to boost the United States’ relations with Africa, notably through investments in infrastructure, health, and development projects. This trip, however, comes at a time when Trump’s influence on U.S. foreign policy is increasingly evident, particularly as world leaders recalibrate their strategies in anticipation of his possible return to the White House. The juxtaposition of Biden’s legacy-building efforts with Trump’s pre-presidential diplomatic activity in Mar-a-Lago speaks volumes about the shifting focus of American global engagement.
Biden’s trip to Africa was first promised during his 2020 campaign, and now, four years later, it is being positioned as a final act to solidify his administration’s diplomatic achievements on the continent. Yet, in parallel, Donald Trump’s post-election meetings in Florida with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have seized international attention. These discussions, far from being sidelined, have reinforced Trump’s penchant for aggressive rhetoric on trade, immigration, and international relations — themes that dominated his first term and now threaten to reshape American foreign policy once more.
Trump’s influence on foreign affairs is not confined to his meetings with allies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for example, has signalled a willingness to negotiate over territory currently controlled by Russia, a shift in approach that some analysts attribute to Trump’s looming return. The ex-president’s unpredictable foreign policy style, often defined by its isolationist “America First” rhetoric, has led world leaders to adopt a more cautious stance, mindful of how their engagements with the U.S. could be influenced by the upcoming change in administration.
The timing of Biden’s visit, then, raises a fundamental question: what is the point of an African trip now, when the very future of U.S. engagement on the continent may be subject to dramatic shifts in the coming months? The trip is largely symbolic, a final diplomatic flourish to cap an administration that, despite its commitment to international cooperation, has struggled to find a consistent foreign policy footing. As Trump reasserts his presence on the global stage, Biden’s African visit appears to lack the long-term impact one might expect from a leader on the cusp of a new term, let alone a departing one.
While the Biden administration remains hopeful that its Africa initiatives will continue under a possible Trump presidency — citing the bipartisan support for investment projects such as the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation — the very notion of continuity in U.S.-Africa relations is uncertain. World leaders have long navigated the delicate balance of managing their relationships with both Biden and Trump, and many will now wonder whether the efforts made by Biden will endure, or whether Trump’s return will usher in a new era of unpredictability and economic protectionism.
Thus, Biden’s African tour may well stand as a bittersweet symbol of what could have been a more profound engagement with the continent. As the days tick down to the end of his presidency, the question remains: Is this trip a legacy-defining moment, or merely a fleeting gesture overshadowed by the return of Trump’s forceful foreign policy? Only time will tell, but for now, it serves as a poignant reminder of the instability that characterises American leadership in the global arena.
