Donald Trump’s bruising return to the White House has sent many longtime foreign allies scrambling to get their distance, and according to a new piece from The Atlantic, that distance will last long after Trump is gone.
Trump’s second term as president has been marked by notable and widespread disrespect toward nations once seen as close U.S. allies. Between his attempts to level massive tariffs against nearly every nation in the world and his frequent breaches of diplomatic norms, Trump has created a hostile global environment in which allies no longer feel safe trusting in the stability of the U.S.
In a new piece for The Atlantic on Tuesday, staff writer Vivian Salama argued that this new dynamic, in which the nations of the world are working to establish a safe distance from the U.S., is bound to become the new normal for years to come, even after Trump leaves office and is potentially replaced by a more traditional, dependable administration.
If it was only the US, that would be something, but it’s happening to a lesser extent elsewhere too. The UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, and probably more I missed, are all showing a surge in right-wing support despite the mess Dumold Trump is making. In the UK Nigel Farage is like mini-Trump, and despite proof of his lies and corruption his support seems to grow.
Something is rotten in the societies that are allowing this to happen, and I envy Canada for how it seems to be resisting it. Long may it continue.
The damage being caused to US reputation on the world stage won’t be fixable without fixing the rot first, because without that it could all happen again, and US allies know it.