Like an angry child with a hammer, Trump:
- Diminished America’s global leadership and dominance in international rulemaking and global trade. After World War II, America led the world in adopting economic rules that built an international trading order, a stable world economy and geopolitical calm. Trump has reversed nearly all of it by bullying other countries into submission rather than building win-win relationships that engender cooperation.
- Cut America’s access to global trade with his tariffs. Argentina cut prices of soy bean exports to China which has replaced all U.S. soy bean sales by American farmers. The problem is likely to become more troubling as other countries make deals with China and cut the US out of the soy bean market.
- Eliminated more than 90% of U.S. development and humanitarian aid, including lifesaving drugs, that prevent disease outbreaks. while HIV and drug-resistant tuberculosis are now spreading unchecked in many countries reliant on our medications, all as children die waiting.
Cutting foreign aid is also wipe out nearly all its benefits for America, such as spreading America’s military might around the world, including the building of U.S. military bases and critical allies. The cuts could enable China’s and Russia’s military prowess and influence to advance beyond ours. Foreign aid also strengthens the U.S. economy by growing foreign industries that buy U.S goods. Over the past 10 years, nearly two-thirds of the growth in U.S. exports was given to major recipients of U.S. aid.
- Is abolishing the guardrails limiting presidential corruption and self-enrichment. The Constitution forbids federal officials from receiving any profit or benefit from a foreign government without Congressional consent, which Trump never got. But:
- Trump chose Trump Towers in Istanbul and a $400 million Turkish investment over America’s security. He withdrew our troops from Syria against military advice, giving his idol Turkish President Erdoğan what he always wanted — to annihilate the Kurds who fought along with American soldiers to defeat ISIS.
- Trump lifted a bipartisan Congressional ban against selling parts to Chinese telecommunications company ZTE for spying. Then, China awarded Ivanka Trump seven trademarks and loaned $500 million to an Indonesian resort featuring Trump-branded properties.
- The Kuwaiti embassy canceled its National Day celebration at the Four Seasons and switched to the Trump International Hotel under pressure from Trump.
- Trump bragged how the Saudis paid his businesses hundreds of millions of dollars. Then, against bipartisan demand, Trump refused to punish Saudi Arabia or its Crown Prince for the murder of American journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
- Trump vetoed an act of Congress blocking an $8 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia, and proceeded to make the sale. Citing the hundreds of millions of dollars the Saudi’s paid his businesses, Trump asked mockingly, “Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.”
- Trump accepted a $50,000 donation to his inauguration committee from a Ukrainian oligarch.
He’s on a path to exceed Vladimir Putin’s corruption.
