Many say that while some of the damage already done could be long-lasting, the situation may not be beyond repair if Trump softens his approach.
He has launched an unprecedented global tariff war and slashed U.S. foreign aid.
He has disparaged NATO allies and embraced Russia’s narrative about its invasion of Ukraine.
And he has spoken about annexing Greenland, retaking the Panama Canal and making Canada the 51st state.
In the chaotic first 100 days since President Donald Trump returned to office, he has waged an often unpredictable campaign that has upended parts of the rules-based world order that Washington helped build from the ashes of World War II.
“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 U.S. special envoy on Iran and Venezuela in Trump’s first term. “I have been surprised.”
This assessment of Trump’s shakeup of the global system comes from Reuters interviews with more than a dozen current and former government officials, foreign diplomats and independent analysts in Washington and capitals around the world.
Many say that while some of the damage already done could be long-lasting, the situation may not be beyond repair if Trump softens his approach.
He has already backtracked on some issues, including the timing and severity of his tariffs.
But they see little chance of a dramatic shift by Trump and instead expect many countries to make lasting changes in their relationships with the U.S. to safeguard against his erratic policy-making.
The White House rejects the notion that Trump has hurt U.S. credibility, citing instead the need to clean up after what it calls former President Joe Biden’s “feckless leadership” on the world stage.
