- cross-posted to:
- world@quokk.au
- cross-posted to:
- world@quokk.au
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.



Ok, let’s try this differently.
In your opinion, why are the allies of the US turning away, and why is this permanent (i.e. more than just Trump)?
They’re turning away because the US is causing them economic harm.
It’s not permanent, but it is longer term than Trump because the soft power the US built in the last 75 years was due to the aftermath of WW2 and the decades of economic inertia that followed, and once those allies diversify their trade, there’d be no reason for them to go back to their over reliance on American trade (unless America gives them a very compelling reason to).
Trade with Canada and Mexico will be least affected among the US’ allies though because at the end of the day the USA is the worlds largest consumer economy and without the tariffs it’s just cheaper to export to the US than across an ocean. It’s Americas allies across the pond that will take the longest to recover