The Top 10 Ways Trump Has Made America Weaker

Eroding Democracy, Neglecting the Military, and 8 More Ways Donald Trump Has Made America Weaker

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Argument:

The Top 10 Ways Trump Has Made America Weaker

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Argument

An expert’s point of view on a current event.

The Top 10 Ways Trump Has Made America Weaker

He’s been one of the most consequential presidents in U.S. history—in all the wrong ways.

!Walt-Steve-foreign-policy-columnist20

*Walt-Steve-foreign-policy-columnist20*

*Stephen M. Walt*

By **Stephen M. Walt**, a columnist at *Foreign Policy* and the Robert and Renée Belfer professor of international relations at Harvard University.

!U.S. President Donald Trump talks about lifting weights while delivering remarks during a White House Faith Office luncheon in the State Dining Room at the White House on July 14, 2025 in Washington.

*U.S. President Donald Trump talks about lifting weights while delivering remarks during a White House Faith Office luncheon in the State Dining Room at the White House on July 14, 2025 in Washington.*

U.S. President Donald Trump talks about lifting weights while delivering remarks during a White House Faith Office luncheon in the State Dining Room at the White House on July 14, 2025 in Washington. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

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August 17, 2026, 4:36 AM

MAGA: “Make America Great Again.” That was U.S. President Donald Trump’s promise to the American people. Elect him, and the country would recover its mojo and return to a golden age of internal harmony, economic vitality, domestic sovereignty, and global influence. It was a seductive vision, especially for those Americans who had been buffeted by globalization and believed that immigrants and “globalists” were undermining the country from within.

As Trump’s second term nears the midway point, there can be little doubt that he is one of the most consequential presidents in U.S. history. Unfortunately, almost all the consequences of his actions have been harmful, not just for most people in the United States but also for America’s relative power and standing in the world. His cronies and family members may be reaping the benefits, but the cumulative impact of his actions will be not a return to greatness, but a weaker and more divided America.

MAGA: “Make America Great Again.” That was U.S. President Donald Trump’s promise to the American people. Elect him, and the country would recover its mojo and return to a golden age of internal harmony, economic vitality, domestic sovereignty, and global influence. It was a seductive vision, especially for those Americans who had been buffeted by globalization and believed that immigrants and “globalists” were undermining the country from within.

As Trump’s second term nears the midway point, there can be little doubt that he is one of the most consequential presidents in U.S. history. Unfortunately, almost all the consequences of his actions have been harmful, not just for most people in the United States but also for America’s relative power and standing in the world. His cronies and family members may be reaping the benefits, but the cumulative impact of his actions will be not a return to greatness, but a weaker and more divided America.

Let me count the ways.

**1\. Destroying confidence in U.S. promises.** The importance of credibility is sometimes exaggerated, but other states will be less inclined to cooperate with Washington if they do not believe that it will keep its promises. As he did throughout his litigious and bankruptcy-prone business career, Trump has repeatedly demonstrated that his threats are mostly empty bluster and his pledges mean nothing. He tore up the successful nuclear deal with Iran (didn’t that work out well?), and he now condemns the same trade agreement that he negotiated with Canada and Mexico during his first term (and that he said was the best deal ever). His on-again, off-again approach to tariffs, repeated threats to withdraw support from key allies, and unexplained reversal of his offer to let Ukraine build Patriot interceptors make it abundantly clear that his word means nothing. Zip. Nada.

This has real consequences: For example, Trump’s well-deserved reputation for double-dealing and unpredictability is one reason why he is having such trouble ending the war with Iran. Its leaders don’t believe a word he says—and why should they?—and they understandably want concrete concessions up front before they let him off the hook. It is also why more countries around the world are hedging their bets and looking for more reliable partners.

**2\. Reducing U.S. military capability.** Despite spending unprecedented sums, boasting of the United States’ “lethality,” and making sure male troops have enough testosterone, Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have made the country’s military forces weaker and undermined the U.S. ability to deter attacks on its partners.

How? By starting a foolish war with Iran, depleting stockpiles of critical weaponry, and keeping ships, squadrons, and service personnel on station for months on end, reportedly leading to a wave of suicide attempts. These actions have burned through valuable military capacity to no good purpose, showed potential adversaries where the country’s vulnerabilities are, and eroded service members’ morale in potentially tragic ways. While Trump and Hegseth have been squandering U.S. military assets, potential future adversaries have been arming, studying, training, and preparing.

To make matters worse, Trump and Hegseth are trying to politicize the uniformed services and make them a loyal part of the MAGA movement. Hegseth has actively sought to purge officers he regards as “woke,” fired or denied promotion to a disproportionate number of wome