The number of countries in the world is usually a bit of a moving target but the number today is roughly 195. Of those, 193 are members of the United Nations and two are just observers. The Trump administration has managed to offend, insult, attack (verbally so far) and wage a tariff war against almost all of them in the span of a few short weeks. This blitzkrieg offensive against the entire world is not making America great as Trump would have people believe, but it is certainly making America more isolated and viewed as untrustworthy.
The stock market continues to plummet, resulting in the devastation of people’s retirement and investment accounts. Interest rates are edging up and capital that would normally flow to the United States as a safe haven is fleeing the country and that is putting the bond market at risk.
This weekend it was reported the Department of State will be closing a number of consulates and embassies around the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa but not solely limited to that region. (As an aside, Trump previously referred to a number of African countries as ‘shit holes’ so it is quite clear Trump has little interest in Africa, despite its vast resources and strategic importance!) In short, the American footprint around the world is shrinking under the Trump administration.
The administration may color these decisions as a cost savings matter, but they are likely part of an effort to make it more difficult for people in some parts of the world to get US visas. (Refer to my comment in the previous paragraph.) The shrinking American footprint around the world will have far reaching consequences that will not easily be countered in the future. Embassies and consulates not only deal with diplomatic issues and things like visas, but they are also hubs for the gathering of intelligence around the world. Loss of those hubs will adversely affect those capabilities.
Will all these actions by the Trump administration make America safer and ‘great again’? Not a chance in hell. The biggest beneficiary of these idiotic moves will be China. As the US global presence shrinks, and more and more countries view the United States as a less trustworthy trade partner or perhaps in the case of countries like Denmark (Greenland) and Panama, as a direct threat, China will sweep in to fill the void.
When Trump slapped tariffs of 46% on Vietnam, President Xi immediately went to Vietnam and subsequently signed a trade deal. He continues to court countries that have been hit with tariffs because of Trump’s ham-fisted approach to foreign policy. China has been investing in Africa for years because they are aware of the strategic importance of the continent and of the vast natural resources that it contains. When I was in Namibia last year, we passed by a uranium mine and when I asked our guides where the ore was being sent, they said it was primarily going to China. There are already rail lines running from China that serve several cities in Europe. They initiated their Belt and Road program to invest in infrastructure projects in countries around the world years ago.
Everything Trump is doing is actually helping China to expand their global presence which is exactly what he and others in his administration say they want to counter. While Trump has convinced a broad swath of the American population that the most important threats to this country today are immigrants and which bathroom someone uses, China is rapidly expanding its strategic presence around the world.
Rather than making America great, Trump is making America irrelevant. Russia has always wanted to see American influence shrink around the world and now, thanks to Trump, he is getting his wish. China has been trying to expand their global presence and influence for a long time and now, thanks to Trump, they are getting their wish. The billionaire buddies of Trump who want more tax cuts and less oversight on their business dealings will, thanks to Trump, get their wish.
The damage that Trump is doing to America’s global presence and reputation as a trusted partner will not be easily undone if that is ever even possible. America will just become more isolated and irrelevant on the world stage. The world will move on without America. China will win. Russia will win. And, thanks to Trump, America won’t become great again. At best we are on our way to mediocrity.
