Self-interest over ideology as disparate inner circle shapes Trump foreign policy

Administration officials, his family and even Mar-a-Lago guests wield outsized influence on a mercurial president

It is a world turned upside down. In his first year in office, Donald Trump has bullied Ukraine, bombed Iran and toppled the leader of Venezuela. In the eyes of critics, he has turned the US into a rogue superpower that poses a greater threat to Nato allies than its foes.

The blitzkrieg has left diplomats in foreign capitals scrambling to understand Trump's motivations and what - or who - is shaping his thinking. Like past presidents, he has an inner circle of advisers who are playing a crucial role in determining his worldview.