US analyst says New Zealand must show courage and decisiveness without Trump

Dr Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank, has said New Zealand will have to show courage and decisiveness in a world without President Donald Trump. RNZ

Dr Cooper was in New Zealand giving lectures as the Sir Howard Kippenberger visiting chair. His visit came as the United States approached its midterm elections, the national votes for Congress held midway through a president's term. He also teaches at Princeton University in the United States. Dr Cooper previously worked at the National Security Council and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Speaking to an audience at Victoria University, Dr Cooper said New Zealand would have to be remarkably decisive to have the effects it could and should have.

He said New Zealand could offer expertise in the Pacific Islands that was lacking in Washington, as the United States moved to rebuild its alliances in a post-Trump period.

Dr Cooper said Wellington had a crucial role to play in keeping the United States headed in the right direction and in reminding it of its principles.