He has launched an unprecedented global tariff war and drastically reduced US foreign aid. He discredited NATO allies and embraced Russia’s narrative on the invasion of Ukraine. And he talked about annexing Greenland, recapturing the Panama Canal, and turning Canada into the 51st state of the US.
In the first chaotic 100 days since President Donald Trump returned to power, he led a campaign that was often unpredictable, overturning part of the rules-based world order that even Washington helped build from the ashes of World War II, Reuters writes.
"Trump is much more radical now than he was eight years ago," said Elliott Abrams, a conservative who served under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush before being appointed as a special envoy to Iran and Venezuela in Trump's first term. "I was surprised," he confesses.
Trump's "America First" agenda for a second term has alienated friends and emboldened adversaries, while also raising questions about how far the US president is willing to go. His actions, combined with this uncertainty, have unsettled some governments so much that they are responding in a way that could be difficult to reverse, even if a more traditional American president is elected in 2028 (although Trump is increasingly showing signs of wanting to run for a third term).
All of this comes against the backdrop of what critics of the Republican president consider signs of democratic regression in the country, which have raised concerns abroad. These include verbal attacks on judges, a pressure campaign against universities, and the transfer of immigrants to a notorious prison in El Salvador as part of a broader deportation campaign.
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"A huge disruption of world affairs"
"What we are seeing is a huge disruption of world affairs," said Dennis Ross, former Middle East negotiator in Democratic and Republican administrations. "No one knows for sure right now what to believe about what is happening or what will follow," says Dennis Ross.
This assessment of Trump's shaking of the global system comes from interviews conducted by Reuters with current and former government officials, foreign diplomats, and independent analysts from Washington and capitals around the world.
Many say that, although some of the damage already done may be long-lasting, the situation is not irreparable if Trump moderates his approach. He has already backed down on some issues, including the timing and severity of his tariffs.
However, they believe that there is little chance that Trump will radically change his attitude, and they expect many countries to make lasting changes in their relations with the US to protect themselves from his unpredictable policies.
The consequences are already being felt. Some European allies, for example, intend to strengthen their own defense industries to reduce dependence on American arms. In South Korea, the debate on developing its own nuclear arsenal has intensified. And there are speculations that the deterioration of relations could lead US partners to approach China, at least economically.
The White House rejects the idea that Trump has damaged US credibility, instead citing the need to bring order after what it calls the "ineffective leadership" of former President Joe Biden on the world stage.
"President Trump is taking swift action to address challenges, bringing Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table to end the war, stopping the flow of fentanyl, and protecting American workers by holding China accountable and bringing Iran back to the negotiating table through maximum pressure," said Brian Hughes, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, in a statement.
He stated that Trump "is making the Houthis pay for their terrorism and securing the southern border, which was open to invasion for four years."
More than half of Americans, including one in five Republicans, believe that Trump is "too aligned" with Russia, and the American public is not enthusiastic about the expansionist agenda he has presented, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted on April 21.