Donald Trump’s triumph of stupidity: German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other G-7 leaders did all they could to convince Trump to remain part of the Paris Agreement, but he didn’t listen — instead, he evoked deep-seated nationalism and plunged the West into a conflict deeper than any since World War II. The epic Trump-Merkel feud, explained: The president’s trip abroad caused a subtle, unsettling shift in the world order. Allies can’t rely on America like they used to — and not just because of Trump. The death knell for America’s global leadership: In an op-ed, the Trump administration’s “adults in the room” envision America in the image of its leader — selfish, isolated, brutish, domineering, and driven by immediate appetites rather than ideals or even longer-term interests.
Can America lead in the age of Trump? The United States has not lost any material power since Trump became president — there are other forms of power, however. How Trump is surrendering America’s soft power: The president continues to think only military and economic might matter — China knows better. Trump hands the Chinese a gift: The chance for global leadership. Is China becoming the world’s most likeable superpower? Trump, the caricature of the ugly American, demeans us all.
