any 'threat' toward europe is entirely hollow though
because there is literally a zero percent chance we take a military action there
They however can't afford to take that risk, because if someone did do it.... there isn't anything they'd be able to do. It's the United States East in less than a week.
So just the mere mention of a military action on Europe shouod get our way safely.
I really think you overestimate how much of the world would cower in fear if America started going full-blown Nazi Germany in terms of foreign policy.
Ok.
Say in 2020 someone runs and his entire campaign is
"One world one America".
He wants to take over the world by force, he gives a plan, and somehow he won.
And on Inauguration Day to show he's serious he decides welp.... we are razing France and U.K. to show we are serious.
And the day he is inaugurated he tells those countries we have declared war, there will be no quarter. You are getting nuked in 24 hours, you have one day to evactuate....
What the hell do you think they are going to do?
The answer is UK and Germany are going to have their entire population leave the next day (as much as they can) because they couldn't do shit to stop us. They don't have the technology to stop us.
Or the rest of the world decides to nuke us first. ---