Less than a hundred days into Trump 2.0, perceptions of
America's ability to influence world affairs has tumbled, falling even lower than its last recent low during Trump 1.0.
That's according to a tracking study of respondents across
29 countries conducted by Ipsos, which found that America's effectiveness in influencing global affairs is once again below water.
While that may not be that surprising, here are a few
facts that should be:
- America has fallen from a ninth place ranking (just behind NATO) in October 2024 to a 13th place ranking (behind India) currently.
- America
has been the biggest loser in global affairs esteem (falling 13%), followed by NATO (-3%) and the United Nations (-2%).
- The biggest gainers have been China (+10%), Saudi Arabia
(+9%) and -- you guessed it -- Russia (+7%).
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In other words, Trump isn't just hurting in the polls domestically, but he's tarnished America's equity worldwide, to the benefit of some
of our biggest adversaries. Heck, even Iran is ticking up in global esteem. Sheesh.
Looking at America's global influence sentiment domestically, the results show an inevitable partisan divide
among Democrats and Republicans -- but among all Americans -- our own perception of our ability to influence world affairs has fallen 14 percentage points since last October.
While Trump's
erratic attempts at fighting a global trade war likely have played into these worldwide and U.S. perceptions, I think it's more than just tariffs and economics. It includes:
- Indecisive
signals related to strategic global affairs, especially Trump's about-face -- and switching sides -- on Ukraine and Russia.
- His incessant, blustery claims on other nations'
sovereignty.
- His pronouncements and allusions about Unconstitutionally asserting his own sovereignty over America.
- His -- and J.D. Vance's --
promotion of fascist factions in Western democracies.
- Violations of human rights and Constitutional law domestically.
- And especially his dismantling and
demoralization of the U.S. government, particularly the parts that are supposed to keep us safe from foreign adversaries.
Honestly, it doesn't feel like he's simply being inept to me.
It feels like part of a game plan, and that much of Trump's performative antics are simply part of misdirection to ensure we don't focus on what he's doing to undermine America's strengths --
domestically or worldwide.
So I have to ask why and toward what end?
Surely it cannot be to sabotage America's role as the leader of the free world... and prop up one or more leaders
of the not-so-free one?
But whatever the agenda might be, the data indicates that is exactly what people around the world -- and inside the U.S. -- believe is happening.
