Weakening America: Trump's Consequential Presidency

The presidency of Donald Trump has been marked by a series of consequential actions that have weakened America's relative power and standing in the world. Trump's promise to "Make America Great Again" has been a seductive vision for many Americans, but the reality is that his actions have had the opposite effect.

## Destroying Confidence in U.S. Promises

One of the most significant consequences of Trump's actions has been the destruction of confidence in U.S. promises. Trump's history of breaking promises and making empty threats has made it clear that his word means nothing. This has real consequences, as other states are less inclined to cooperate with Washington if they do not believe that it will keep its promises.

| Action | Consequence | | --- | --- | | Tearing up the nuclear deal with Iran | Loss of credibility and trust with Iran | | Condemning the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico | Erosion of trust with key allies | | Repeated threats to withdraw support from key allies | Increased uncertainty and instability in global relations |

## Reducing U.S. Military Capability

Trump's actions have also reduced U.S. military capability, despite unprecedented spending. 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, Trump has burned through valuable military capacity to no good purpose.

| Action | Consequence | | --- | --- | | Starting a foolish war with Iran | Depletion of military capacity and erosion of service members' morale | | Depleting stockpiles of critical weaponry | Increased vulnerability to potential attacks | | Keeping ships, squadrons, and service personnel on station for months on end | Burnthrough of valuable military capacity |

## Dismantling Diplomatic Capacity

Trump's actions have also dismantled diplomatic capacity, with the United States withdrawing from more than 60 international organizations and closing consulates and offices abroad. This has left the country's diplomatic institutions at the breaking point, with 98% of respondents reporting low morale and 86% saying these actions were impairing their ability to do their jobs.

| Action | Consequence | | --- | --- | | Unilaterally withdrawing from international organizations | Erosion of trust and credibility with other states | | Closing consulates and offices abroad | Impairment of diplomatic capacity and ability to do jobs | | Leaving dozens of ambassadorships empty | Increased uncertainty and instability in global relations |

## Undermining U.S. Scientific Preeminence

Trump's actions have also undermined U.S. scientific preeminence, with cuts to federal support for scientific research and the appointment of ignorant and unqualified science skeptics to key positions. This has led to a brain drain in the field of physics, with Ph.D. graduates leaving the United States at the highest rate in 30 years.

| Action | Consequence | | --- | --- | | Cutting federal support for scientific research | Erosion of U.S. scientific preeminence and innovation | | Appointing ignorant and unqualified science skeptics to key positions | Amplification of false claims and erosion of trust in science |

## Missing the Green Transition

Trump's climate change denialism and opposition to renewable energy have also had significant consequences, including missing the green transition and ceding scientific preeminence to other states.

| Action | Consequence | | --- | --- | | Climate change denialism | Erosion of trust in science and increased uncertainty in global relations | | Opposition to renewable energy | Missed opportunities for innovation and economic growth |