ASIAN WISCONZINE ONLINE
february 2026 ISSUE
Trump Global Weakness Watch: How Trump Is Undermining American Power
From CAP National Security and International Policy Department
(LEFT): Secretary of State Marco Rubio, President Donald Trump, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth sit in a Cabinet meeting on December 2, 2025, Washington, D.C. (Getty/Chip Somodevilla)
.
Since January 20, 2025, the second Trump administration’s foreign policy has driven global chaos and corruption, while undermining American allies, costing American taxpayers, and strengthening America’s adversaries. The Center for American Progress’ Trump Global Weakness Watch tracker is more than a catalog of concerning decisions—it is a strategic initiative to expose how Donald Trump’s second-term agenda is accelerating the breakdown of American power. The tracker shows a clear pattern: The Trump administration’s decisions about security, economy, and global influence make America weak, and Americans bear the consequences.
The Trump Global Weakness Watch tracker is a tool for accountability, but also for transformation. At a time when the Trump administration is engaged in a concerted effort to revise history at every turn, the tracker creates a documentary record that exposes the cracks in the “America First” foreign policy.
The Trump administration is weakening America’s military and security
The Trump administration’s politicization of the military—firing experienced leaders, deploying troops to American cities, and attacking those who serve—turns America’s national defense into spectacle. These moves do not make Americans safer. They distract from real threats and hurt those who protect Americans.
The Trump administration is weakening America’s economic power
The Trump administration’s manipulation of economic institutions and its trade wars worsen an economy that already disproportionately benefits the ultrawealthy. By undermining transparency, stability, and affordability, the administration makes it harder for working families to thrive. Its policies gut innovation, raise costs, and erode trust in the systems that should be building shared prosperity.
The Trump administration is weakening diplomatic power and global influence
The Trump administration’s foreign policy prizes loyalty over expertise, sidelining experienced diplomats in favor of elevating unqualified appointees and politicizing foreign policy and national security institutions that typically represent the interests of the American people, not the party in power. The administration has broken trust with America’s allies and partners, significantly weakening America’s ability to pursue key interests abroad. It has gutted the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and withdrawn the United States from key multilateral organizations. These moves do not benefit the American people, but leave America isolated as global threats are on the rise.
The Trump administration is strengthening America’s adversaries
As Trump retreats from global leadership, adversaries such as China and Russia have stepped in—not because they are stronger, but because the United States is leaving a vacuum. By cutting foreign assistance, dismantling USAID, and attacking multilateral institutions, Trump abandons potential allies worldwide—and the Americans who benefit from smart trade policies, global stability, and climate cooperation.
Why this matters now
Nearly every day of the second term, the Trump administration is making strategic choices that undermine U.S. power and create a more chaotic world. According to a 2025 Pew Research Center study, global confidence in U.S. leadership has plummeted, with many nations expressing low confidence in Trump’s leadership of world affairs. By systematically documenting these trends, the Trump Global Weakness Watch tracker empowers policymakers, advocates, and the public to understand the stakes and mobilize against this sharp erosion of American power.
This initiative is essential to uphold the integrity of U.S. institutions, safeguard democratic values, and restore America’s role as a global leader. It is a warning to reverse the damage and reimagine strength across military, economic, and diplomatic domains.
Trump Global Weakness Watch
2025 January 20, 2025
Trump’s executive order pausing all foreign assistance creates chaos and abdicates U.S. leadership
President Trump signs an executive order pausing nearly all U.S. foreign assistance for 90 days. Foreign assistance accounts for less than 1 percent of the federal budget, and its interruption results in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people around the world by mid-2025. The cuts affect Americans at home, with credible estimates suggesting as many as 250,000 Americans may be out of work due to the cuts. The cuts have also led to $23 billion in export losses and greater global risks of pandemic disease, conflict, and instability.
January 20, 2025
Trump withdraws from the World Health Organization (WHO), abandoning U.S leadership on global health
The Trump administration announces its withdrawal from the WHO, blaming it for mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic. This abandons America’s seat at the table, losing influence over global health decisions and the ability to coordinate to effectively address global public health threats.
January 20, 2025
Paris Agreement withdrawal signals global U.S. retreat from climate and energy security
On his first day in office, Trump issues an executive order to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, stopping U.S. implementation of the compact that underpins multilateral climate cooperation and signaling a retreat from global climate leadership.
January 24, 2025
Treasury Department lifts sanctions on violent Israeli settlers
The U.S. Treasury Department announces it will lift sanctions against Israeli settlers accused of violence in the occupied West Bank, where settler violence has claimed the lives of Palestinians, Americans, and others. One of the settlers who is granted sanctions relief, Yinon Levi, goes on to allegedly kill Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen in the West Bank on July 18, 2025. The lifting of sanctions against these individuals sends a message of impunity for human rights abuse and risks emboldening violence that destabilizes the West Bank and puts Americans and others directly in harm’s way.
January 27, 2025
Revocation of U.S. pledges to the Green Climate Fund (GCF)
The Trump administration sends a formal note to the U.N. secretary-general announcing the revocation of $4 billion in U.S. pledges to the GCF. By walking away from international climate finance, the administration not only weakens global efforts to fight climate change but also increases the costs Americans will face from climate-fueled instability.
February 1, 2025
Department of Homeland Security ends temporary protected status for millions fleeing fragile and war-torn countries
The Department of Homeland Security announces the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuela since then, it has also ended TPS for Haiti, Nicaragua, Honduras, Afghanistan, and Cameroon, with other conflict-affected states at risk of termination. As legal challenges continue, these sudden terminations force millions of vulnerable people back to countries they once fled, exposing them to life-threatening dangers. Not only do these actions dismantle decades of a bipartisan humanitarian precedent, but communities across the United States lose valuable contributors to the workforce and public life.
February 4, 2025
Trump pulls United States out of U.N. Human Rights Council
Trump signs an executive order pulling the United States out of the U.N. Human Rights Council and cuts all funding to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency. This reckless move dismantles decades of bipartisan U.S. leadership on human rights and humanitarian aid, leaving authoritarian regimes unchecked and millions of vulnerable people without critical support. By walking away from these institutions, Trump isolates America, erodes its moral authority, and hands adversaries an opening to rewrite global norms.
February 5, 2025
Trump administration dismantles FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force
The Trump administration dismantles the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, removing a key counterintelligence tool created to detect and counter covert influence operations, including those from China and Russia.
February 14, 2025
JD Vance berates allies at the Munich Security Conference I
In a politically charged speech, Vice President JD Vance accuses European partners of stifling free speech. Vance’s broadside attack on allies undermines cohesion on Russia and signals unreliable U.S. leadership.
February 19, 2025
The Trump administration dismantles the U.S. Institute of Peace
Trump issues executive order 14217 to dismantle the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP)—a congressionally funded body with the mission to prevent wars by building peace—and he eventually renames the building after himself on December 4, 2025. By March 28, 2025, USIP staff—who are not federally funded employees—are laid off, and the USIP building is taken over by DOGE. The takeover, which a district court judge later declares unlawful and a “gross usurpation of power,” undermines the government’s ability to achieve a more peaceful and stable world, particularly as USIP often complements U.S. official peacemaking efforts.
February 19, 2025
Trump eliminates the Presidential Management Fellows program
President Trump issues executive order 14217 to abolish the Presidential Management Fellows program, a key pipeline for recruiting and training top, diverse, graduate talent for federal service. This move dismantles a decades-old program that has supplied national security and foreign policy agencies with skilled professionals, creating a leadership vacuum that will take years to fill. By severing this talent pipeline, the United States weakens its ability to maintain a world-class cadre of diplomatic professionals capable of responding to global crises and advancing American interests in the world, and it removes a critical opportunity for Americans of all backgrounds to enter into government service.
February 20, 2025
Trump fires top military leaders
In what many have since described as the “Friday night massacre,” Trump and Secretary of Defense Hegseth abruptly fire the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General C.Q. Brown the chief of naval operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti the vice chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, General James Slife and the senior judge advocates general for the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Brown was the highest-ranking Black officer in the military and Franchetti was the highest-ranking woman in the Navy. Along with Slife, their firings represented a loss of more than 125 years of service in one fell swoop, demonstrating the Trump administration’s willingness to attack the most distinguished military leaders. This extraordinary move marks one of the first instances of the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine the military’s independence from political influence and erode its commitment to laws of armed conflict.
February 27, 2025
Trump berates Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Trump’s ambush of Zelenskyy in the Oval Office damaged U.S. credibility with its important partner and delivered a propaganda victory to Moscow. March 3-6, 2025 Trump pauses U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine The administration halts battlefield intel to Kyiv to force talks. Though the administration later resumes intelligence sharing, the move blunts Ukraine’s defenses and signals wavering U.S. resolve to Moscow and to allies in Europe.
March 5, 2025
United States ends data sharing on air pollution at embassies and consulates
The State Department ends a long-standing practice in which U.S. embassies and consulates shared data on local air pollution levels. Many developing countries rely entirely on U.S. embassy monitoring data, so its removal leaves vulnerable populations without accurate information on dangerous air conditions and risks contributing to worsening air pollution globally—including in the United States.
March 11, 2025
Signal group chat leaks
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz accidentally adds Jefferey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, to a Signal group chat of high-ranking U.S. national security officials. The chat included classified details of military operations against the Houthis in Yemen. On March 24, 2025, Goldberg published the contents of the chat, sparking a political scandal dubbed “Signalgate.” The incident raises grave concerns about security protocol and accountability among U.S. national security leaders entrusted with safeguarding the nation.
March 14, 2025
Trump shuts down Voice of America Trump signs an executive order to close Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia, which leaves millions of people in authoritarian societies without access to independent reporting and information. A federal judge blocked the order, including efforts to lay off about 500 employees, but court cases are ongoing. Closing these outlets—which have together broadcast for more than 75 years—strengthens the ability of America’s adversaries to spread propaganda and malign influence worldwide, effectively ceding to them the information space.
April 1, 2025
Trump administration returns indicted MS-13 members to El Salvador, evading American justice
The Trump administration strikes a secret deal with President Nayib Bukele to return violent gang leaders and informants back to El Salvador, disrupting ongoing criminal cases against the gang. In exchange, Bukele agrees to house deported Venezuelans in the brutal maximum security prison CECOT.
April 2, 2025
Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs backfire
Trump’s across-the-board tariffs have raised consumer prices, hurt U.S. farmers, caused layoffs of U.S. workers due to disrupted supply chains, and triggered retaliatory trade deals among allies. Since April 2025, a total of 58,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs have been lost. Tariffs isolate the United States from the world and do not restore jobs for Americans.
April 7, 2025
Trump administration guts global food security
The Trump administration terminates USAID contracts with the World Food Program and dismantles agricultural development and nutrition programs across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Aid groups warn this is a “death sentence” for famine-stricken populations and a strategic gift to adversaries, diminishing decades of U.S. humanitarian leadership and fueling instability worldwide.
April 29, 2025
Pentagon ends Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) program
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announces the termination of the WPS program, which has enabled U.S. forces to build trust with local communities and gain critical insights into complex environments when they are deployed. The dismantlement of the WPS program removes an essential tool that has kept American service members safe while pursuing security objectives.
May 2, 2025
Trump administration submits FY26 budget request, slashing foreign spending The Trump administration submits its fiscal year 2026 budget request to Congress, with devastating cuts to foreign assistance spending. Despite promising to continue lifesaving programs such as the bipartisan President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the request slashes spending on global health and humanitarian assistance it also repackages development assistance in an “America First” fund and significantly increases contributions to the Development Finance Corporation. The budget represents a significant retreat from U.S. presence around the world, at the same time as it seeks to increase spending on defense. This “America First” posture is a penny-wise and pound-foolish approach to national security, leaving a less stable world and increasing the risk of conflict, disease, and climate disasters.
May 13-16, 2025
Trump conflicts of interest in Gulf trip place personal business above security and rights
In his first international trip, President Trump travels to the Gulf and visits Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—nations where he and his family have personal business relationships. Trump promises that the United States will no longer deliver “lectures” on democracy and rights and announces $142 billion in prospective arms sales to Saudi Arabia, despite concerns about Saudi’s destabilizing role in the region and potential Chinese access to the weapons systems. Just prior to this trip, the State Department had approved two major arms sales to the UAE, and the Commerce Department had announced it would do away with export controls on sensitive technologies, paving the way for the UAE to acquireadvanced computing chips despite national security concerns about China’s ability to access the technology. The visit raises serious concerns about the president’s conflicts of interest, particularly given the gifts of a Qatari airliner and Gulf crypto investments into Trump family ventures. These conflicts of interest weaken the United States’ ability to pursue foreign policy that is in the best interest of the American people.
May 21, 2025
Trump officially accepts Qatari jet
A week after the president’s return from Doha, the Trump administration officially accepts Qatar’s gift of a Boeing aircraft to be used as Air Force One. The secretary of the Air Force estimates the cost to outfit it for official use is “probably” less than the value of the jet, though some estimates place the cost much higher. The gift raises serious concerns about conflicts of interest and security concerns around espionage, surveillance, and compromise of U.S. national security protocols. By accepting the jet, Trump sends the signal that he is willing to accept gifts in exchange for favorable relations, placing his own interests above those of the country and the American people.
May 21, 2025
Trump ambushes South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office
Trump hosts South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in a televised Oval Office meeting and confronts him with unverified “white genocide” claims. Ramaphosa emphasizes that acts of violence in South Africa are criminal activities, not political persecution. The spectacle strains relations with the United States’ largest trading partner in Africa and an emerging G20 leader, further ceding partnership opportunities on the continent to U.S. competitors.
May 23, 2025
Trump administration plans to pull U.S. troops from South Korea
Reports reveal the Trump administration is weighing a plan to withdraw 4,500 U.S. troops from South Korea—a move rooted in a transactional, “pay-to-play” approach to alliances. Pulling forces from the peninsula would shake America’s security commitments, fuel allies’ fears of U.S. abandonment, and weaken America’s ability to deter North Korea.
May 28, 2025
Trump bans Chinese students
The Trump administration proposed a new policy to “aggressively revoke” the visas of Chinese graduate students in STEM fields. This “war on talent” drives away some of the world’s brightest minds away from the United States and hands its competitive edge to rivals such as China.
May 29, 2025
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announces massive cuts to Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announces plans to cut up to 80 percent of staff in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and freeze $400 million in grants for pro-democracy groups. By this time, the State Department has already fired around 60 contractors from the bureau who provided technical and area expertise to senior officials. Rubio’s plan is manifested in a July State Department reorganization where more than 1,300 staff are laid off. The announcement further undermines U.S. credibility and efforts to defend fundamental rights and freedoms abroad—tools that underpin America’s ability to counter authoritarianism and advance stability worldwide.
June 3, 2025
Trump administration rescission request seeks to eliminate foreign spending
The Trump administration submits a $9.4 billion rescission package to Congress, seeking to claw back congressionally approved foreign aid and public broadcasting funds. Approximately $8.3 billion in cuts targets core foreign assistance accounts—including global health programs, development aid, humanitarian response, and contributions to multilateral institutions. While Congress later carves out some programs for protection, ultimately it approves a rescissions package that allows the president to cut around $7.9 billion in foreign assistance. These cuts eliminate programs that save lives, build goodwill for the United States abroad, and advance a more stable, predictable world.
June 9, 2025
United States retreats from ocean protections
The United States sends no official delegation to the U.N. Ocean Conference. By abandoning a seat at the table, the United States loses influence over global decisions on ocean health, fisheries, and coastal resilience—issues that directly affect American jobs, food security, and the protection of communities from rising seas and extreme weather.
June 21, 2025
Trump administration launches strikes on Iran
Trump authorizes Operation Midnight Hammer, a series of B-2 bomber strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. While Trump claims the program was “obliterated,” experts and Israeli officials later admitted that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile survived, and the strikes may have increased Iran’s political will to pursue nuclear weapons. The strikes also undermine diplomatic efforts, with Iran accusing the United States of betrayal and ruling out further negotiations on its nuclear program. U.N. inspectors are no longer allowed into Iran, depriving the international community of insight into Iran’s remaining nuclear facilities.
July 1, 2025
Trump administration eliminates the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
The Trump administration’s decision to eliminate USAID and slash foreign assistance programs—despite USAID accounting for only about 1 percent of the federal budget—creates a major shock to the global aid system. As of November 5, 2025, the elimination of USAID has resulted in 600,000 deaths, two-thirds of which are children. These cuts do not just cause humanitarian suffering they strip away America’s power to advance U.S. interests abroad, from stabilizing fragile states to countering authoritarian influence. By gutting America’s ability to lead on development and disaster relief, the administration has weakened U.S. leverage, jeopardized the lives of vulnerable populations, and ceded ground for adversaries to fill the void and advance their own interests.
July 7, 2025
Trump threatens Asian allies with tariffs
The Trump administration threatened key U.S. allies Japan and South Korea with punitive tariffs to extract economic concessions. This replaces mutual security cooperation with distrust, forcing Asian partners to question U.S. reliability and to hedge closer toward China.
July 11, 2025
The State Department fires Russia and Ukraine experts
The State Department fires senior analysts who warned that Russia was unlikely to end its aggression in Ukraine, challenging a more optimistic CIA assessment. Removing dissenting views from the intelligence community limits a more robust understanding of global threats, which leaves U.S. policymakers with a skewed picture that can impede their ability to most effectively protect national security.
July 11, 2025
State Department fires 1,300 employees in massive reorganization
The Trump administration executes one of the largest personnel cuts in State Department history, laying off more than 1,300 staff as part of a reorganization that eliminated offices focused on human rights, refugee resettlement, and war crimes. This hollowing out of expertise cripples U.S. crisis response and values-based diplomacy. The mass layoffs or shuttering of offices—including at the Human Rights Bureau, Office of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, Climate Diplomacy Office, Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Hub, and Office of Global Women’s Issues—deprive the diplomatic corps of critical tools to advance global stability.
July 14, 2025
Trump sets a “50-day” ultimatum for Russia to end the war and lets it expire without bringing Russia to the negotiation table
Trump announces a hard negotiation deadline and floats “secondary tariffs” on countries that buy Russian oil, then shifts messaging repeatedly, which muddies deterrence and invited tests of U.S. credibility. On September 2, 2025, the clock ran out on Trump’s deadline for Putin to end the war in Ukraine and no new penalties followed, confirming to allies and adversaries that U.S. red lines lack teeth.
July 22, 2025
United States withdraws from the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
The State Department announces the formal withdrawal of the United States from UNESCO. This decision erodes America’s influence on issues that shape the future: education, science, and cultural cooperation. By stepping back, the United States hands over leadership opportunities to others and risks becoming a spectator in arenas where it once set the standard.
July 25, 2025
Trump stalls plastics regulation
July 26, 2025
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth refuses military promotion over loyalty test
July 28, 2025
Trump relaxes key U.S. technology export controls to China
The Trump administration loosened critical export restrictions on trading advanced artificial intelligence and semiconductor technologies to China in pursuit of a trade deal. This decision dismantles a key U.S. leverage point and hands Beijing the very tools it needs to accelerate its military modernization—effectively sacrificing America’s long-term security for a short-term political win.
August 12, 2025
United States rejects global decarbonization in the shipping industry and threatens other countries
August 15, 2025
Putin gets the red carpet, but Alaska summit ends with no deal
August 20, 2025
Tulsi Gabbard weakens election interference office Director of National Intelligence
Tulsi Gabbard announces plans to reduce the Foreign Malign Influence Center and fold it into another office. This move eliminates a congressionally mandated office to counter foreign election interference and influence campaigns from American adversaries.
August 20, 2025
Trump administration sanctions International Criminal Court officials
The Trump administration sanctions four International Criminal Court (ICC) officials from France, Canada, Fiji, and Senegal over their efforts “to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute nationals of the United States or Israel.” (Three of the officials had been involved in the issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as senior Hamas leaders one had been involved in investigating U.S. personnel in Afghanistan.) This move directly attacks the independence of the global justice system and could create a diplomatic rift with 120 countries who are members of the ICC, further isolating the United States from key allies who support the international court.
August 26, 2025
Trump politicizes the Federal Reserve, threatening the U.S. dollar’s global role
Trump’s push to oust Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook and pressure the Fed to slash rates triggered warnings from global financial leaders. Undermining the Fed’s independence risks destabilizing the dollar—the world’s reserve currency—by eroding confidence in U.S. monetary policy. The Bank of England’s governor called the threat “very serious,” cautioning that politicized rate decisions could make the United States look unreliable to global markets. This would also raise borrowing costs for Americans and accelerate moves toward alternatives such as the yuan or euro.
August 28, 2025
After Alaska summit, Russia launches strikes on Ukraine
Following the failed Alaska summit, Russian strikes hit Ukrainian government and EU/British offices in Kyiv, which emboldens Moscow and makes U.S. warnings ring hollow.
August 29, 2025
Trump’s pocket rescissions attempt to gut democracy and development aid
Trump issues a pocket rescission to eliminate $4.9 billion in government funds for democracy, human rights, governance, and peacebuilding programs. The pocket rescission attempts to circumvent requirements for congressional approval by allowing funds to expire that had been earmarked for programs in election monitoring, civil society support, and health, as well as funding for pro-democracy organizations such as the National Endowment for Democracy. While the move is challenged in the courts, the rescission jeopardizes climate adaptation, democracy aid, and development assistance in vulnerable countries, eroding U.S. influence and leaving vulnerable communities more exposed to climate shocks, instability, and humanitarian crises.
September 2025
Trump’s tariffs push Brazil toward China’s markets
The Trump administration imposed 50 percent tariffs on Brazilian goods in retaliation for Brazil’s prosecution of its former president for his attempted coup, accelerating Brazil’s expansion into Chinese markets. China bought 7.2 million tons of Brazilian soybeans in September, while U.S. soybean farmers lost sales. This not only cedes economic influence to China, but it also fuels Amazon deforestation as Brazil clears land for soy cultivation.
September 2, 2025
Trump administration abuses U.S. wartime powers with strikes in the Caribbean
The Trump administration begins an unlawful military campaign of lethal strikes on boats in the Western Hemisphere. The administration claims that these strikes are against narcoterrorists without presenting any evidence or legal justification. These actions bypass Congress, violate international law, set a dangerous precedent for unchecked presidential power, and do not curb the flow of drugs.
September 8, 2025
Trump ends U.S. Participation in EU disinformation efforts
The Trump administration ended U.S. participation in a joint effort with the European Union to combat foreign disinformation. This decision abandons a critical transatlantic tie, making both the United States and Europe more vulnerable to malign influence campaigns from China and Russia.
September 12, 2025
Trump praises China's courts
In a TV interview, Trump suggested U.S. courts should emulate China’s authoritarian judicial system. This open admiration for a system that lacks due process undermines the U.S. rule of law and weakens America’s credibility to criticize China for its human rights abuses.
September 19, 2025
Exorbitant H1B visa fee
Trump introduced a $100,000 fee for new H1B visas for skilled workers as part of his immigration crackdown. This harms key American high-tech industries that rely heavily on skilled workers from abroad.
September 23, 2025
Trump's combative speech at the United Nations 80th General Assembly
Trump gives a combative speech at the U.N. General Assembly’s 80th anniversary convening. Trump attacks the United Nations and tells other member states: “Your countries are going to hell.” In the speech, Trump also dismisses climate science, calling climate action a “con job” and attacking multilateral climate efforts. Such high-profile denials undercut the authority of science in diplomatic fora and damage U.S. credibility. The speech further demonstrates Trump’s abdication of global leadership, leaving adversaries to fill the void.
September 30, 2025
Trump and Hegseth convene military leaders in unprecedented meeting to push political agenda
Trump and Hegseth require military leaders, including hundreds of admirals and generals serving in critical posts all around the world, to come to Quantico, Virginia. In the meeting, Hegseth and Trump push “anti-woke” policies. Hegseth also lectures the leaders on fitness standards, threatens to deploy the military in American cities, and advocates “maximum lethality” in the rules of engagement. These positions not only undermine military efforts to recruit and retain the best fighting force, but they also politicize the military and divert attention from pressing national security issues.
October 14, 2025
Trump’s Argentina bailout puts U.S. farmers and taxpayers at risk
Trump funneled $20 billion in aid into Argentina without congressional approval to bail out Javier Milei, Argentina’s far-right leader, ahead of critical elections. Immediately following the bailout, Argentina began exporting soybeans to China, backfilling market share lost by American farmers because of the Trump administration’s trade war. Trump then suggested that the United States quadruple imports of Argentine beef, emphasizing the economic well-being of Argentine ranchers ahead of American farmers and ranchers, who called the proposal “a betrayal.”
October 18, 2025
Trump escalates military and economic pressure on Colombia
After U.S. strikes killed Colombians in Caribbean waters, Trump slashed security aid to Colombia and sanctioned President Gustavo Petro. These moves jeopardize Colombia’s counter-narcotics operations and Black Hawk fleet maintenance, which fractures a decades-long counter-narcotics and security partnership and risks destabilizing a key U.S. ally in South America.
October 24, 2025
Trump administration cuts labor rights protection programs
The Trump administration cuts more than $700 million in USAID, Department of Labor, and State Department programs that support labor rights abroad, including those that advance protections against forced labor and workplace violence. Tackling labor abuses abroad levels the playing field to protect American jobs, ensures fair competition, and makes trade work for both workers and businesses, which is why these programs have earned strong support from U.S. companies and bipartisan backing from Congress. Their removal weakens these safeguards for American businesses.
October 30, 2025
Junior DOGE political appointee replaces admiral in charge of naval research
Rear Admiral Kurt Rothenhaus, a seasoned leader as chief of naval research, is replaced by a 33-year-old former DOGE employee and former McKinsey partner with no apparent naval experience. Replacing an experienced career military officer with an inexperienced appointee undermines the Navy’s ability to effectively oversee cutting-edge research, manage multibillion dollar investments in research and development, and maintain technological superiority over American adversaries.
October 30, 2025
Trump pushes for nuclear weapons testing
President Trump orders the Pentagon to restart U.S. nuclear weapons tests for the first time in decades, shattering long-standing global agreements designed to prevent an arms race. This reckless move risks triggering a dangerous spiral of nuclear escalation and alarms allies who depend on U.S. leadership to keep the world safe.
October 31, 2025
United States sends no official delegation to COP30, the 2025 U.N. Climate Change Conference
The Trump administration sends no “high-level representatives” to attend the global climate summit, marking the first time in COP history that the United States abstains entirely from formal representation. This absence weakens American influence over global climate policy, ceding its diplomatic leadership and ability to shape key climate finance and emissions-reduction agreements to other countries.
October 31, 2025
With United States absent, China pushes global AI governance at APEC
At the APEC summit, Xi Jinping proposed a World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, positioning China as a leader in tech governance. The Trump administration was notably absent from the summit, leaving U.S. influence in new technologies behind and allowing China to set the rules on global trade.
November 1, 2025
Trump’s China trade deal does little to help Americans
Days after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, Trump struck a bilateral deal with Xi Jinping to ease his trade war, cutting tariffs and securing Chinese pledges to delay export controls on rare earth and agreeing to restart soybean purchases. Yet the deal did nothing to address China’s nonmarket practices, its abhorrent labor practices, or its predatory export policies.
November 8, 2025
United States boycotts the G20 summit in South Africa
Trump orders a full boycott of the G20 in South Africa, citing false allegations of genocide against white South Africans. Since the G20 is the world’s main forum for coordinating economic policy, shaping rules on trade, debt relief, and financial stability amongst the largest economies, the United States forfeits a seat at the table where decisions on global growth and crisis response are made. This gives adversaries a chance to rewrite the rules to their advantage while Americans are left behind.
November 11, 2025
United Kingdom halts some intelligence sharing with the United States
Britain stops sharing certain intelligence with Washington over concerns that U.S. strikes on suspected drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean violate international law. The U.K. provides intelligence to support regional counterdrug operations. This move marks a rare public split between America and one of its closest allies, and diminished access to allied intelligence makes the American people less safe.
November 12, 2025
European leaders reject legal basis for the United States’ strikes in the Caribbean
On the sidelines of the G7 in Ontario, Canada, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, and Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s foreign minister, each stated that recent U.S. strikes in the Caribbean lacked any legal basis under international law. Their remarks highlight how the United States stands isolated within the international community, including among its closest allies.
November 17, 2025
Trump announces F 35 fighter jet sales to Saudi Arabia
Trump confirmed plans to sell America’s most advanced stealth fighter—the F 35—to Saudi Arabia, calling it a win for U.S. ties. Saudi Arabia has deep defense partnerships with China, and its history of security leaks makes it a prime target for espionage. Even limited exposure to F 35 technology—such as through stealth coatings or radar systems—could help China speed up its own fighter programs and erode America’s edge in the skies. By prioritizing short term deals over long term safeguards, Trump risks handing Beijing a boost for its defense strategy.
November 18, 2025
Trump rejects U.S. intelligence assessment in meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman
President Trump apparently rejects a CIA assessment that Crown Prince Salman was aware of and had approved the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The friendly meeting also undermines the efforts of the families of 9/11 victims to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for its involvement in the attacks, given ongoing lawsuits linking Saudi officials to the attacks. The meeting comes at a time when Saudi investors have invested in crypto and real estate ventures that benefit the Trump family, raising serious concerns about Trump’s conflicts of interests. Potentially placing Trump’s own personal interests over those seeking justice for 9/11 and Saudi’s acts of transnational repression, the visit weakens the United States’ ability to pursue justice and keep Americans safe.
November 19, 2025
Leaked 28-point “peace plan” exposes Trump administration bowing to Russian interests in Ukraine settlement
A 28-point blueprint for ending the war in Ukraine leaked to the press, where it called on Ukraine to cede territory, limit its armed forces to roughly 600,000 personnel, renounce NATO membership in its constitution, and freeze its membership ambitions—all long-standing demands of Russia. Kyiv and its European partners reacted sharply, warning the document reads less like a U.S. peace offer and more like a Russian roadmap for Ukraine’s defeat.
November 30, 2025
Leaked internal FBI dossier exposes deep dysfunction under Director Kash Patel
A 115-page internal report, authored by active-duty and former FBI agents, portrays the bureau under Patel’s leadership as a “rudderless ship” and “internally paralyzed by fear,” with agents hesitant to act without explicit orders. This dysfunction hampers the FBI’s ability to protect Americans from domestic and foreign threats.
December 2, 2025
Independent Pentagon press corps replaced with pro-administration media
After most members of the Pentagon press corps refused to agree to new rules that could punish journalists for reporting unauthorized information, the Trump administration restricted their access and replaced the press corps with pro-administration media outlets and conspiracy theorists. Press freedom advocates such as the National Press Club deemed this to be a direct assault on independent journalism, making it harder for the public to hold the Defense Department accountable.
December 2, 2025
Trump pardons former Honduras president and convicted drug trafficker
Trump pardons former president of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernández, who was serving a 45-year prison sentence for drug trafficking charges—including accepting bribes to help traffic 400 tons of cocaine to the United States. According the U.S. Justice Department, Hernández “leveraged the Government of Honduras’ law enforcement, military, and financial resources to further his drug trafficking scheme.”
December 4, 2025
Pentagon watchdog concludes Defense Secretary Hegseth placed U.S. military operations and national security at risk
Defense Secretary Hegseth endangered U.S. operations by sharing precise strike times in a Signal group chat on an unapproved device, according to a Pentagon inspector general report. The leaked details—normally confined to secure channels—could have allowed Houthi militants to shoot down American aircrafts or fortify defenses, putting troops and national security at serious risk.
December 4, 2025
Trump’s new national security strategy weakens U.S. global influence and strengthens adversaries
The Trump administration’s “National Security Strategy” marks a dramatic shift in U.S. global leadership. It rebukes Europe for what it calls a risk of “civilizational erasure” and notably softens criticism of adversaries such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. This approach has alarmed American allies while drawing praise from the Kremlin, which said that the strategy aligns closely with Moscow’s view.
December 4, 2025
Trump halts Chinese spy agency sanctions
The Trump administration halted planned sanctions against a Chinese intelligence agency to preserve a trade truce. This decision prioritizes short-term economic concerns over national security, emboldening Beijing’s espionage operations and compromising efforts to counter Chinese intelligence theft within the United States.
December 8, 2025
Trump approves advanced chip exports to China
The Trump administration authorized Nvidia to export its powerful H200 AI chips to China in exchange for a 25 percent tax on sales. This reversal of U.S. export controls hands Beijing the specific high-performance computing power needed to supercharge its military AI and surveillance state, effectively narrowing America’s national security and technological advantages.
December 22, 2025
Trump administration orders dozens of U.S. ambassadors to leave their posts
With little explanation, the Trump administration orders up to 30 career ambassadors to leave their posts and return to the United States, leaving embassies without leadership. The extraordinary move pulls hundreds of years of collective experience from the field and leaves vacancies in countries around the world, many in regions where China and Russia could expand their diplomatic activities.
December 22, 2025
Trump announces new “Trump-class” battleship, dumping military resources into an unnecessary vanity project
Trump announces new class of battleship that is named after himself. Defense analysts criticize this announcement as an expensive waste of time and money as these proposed ships are ill-suited for America’s naval combat needs, will be vulnerable to attack, and are unlikely to ever be launched.
2026
January 3, 2026
Trump orders military raid to abduct Venezuela’s president, demanding U.S. control of oil interests
The Trump administration conducts a military operation to seize Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, flying them to New York to face federal charges. After the raid, President Trump says the United States will be “running” the country and taking control over its oil sector. Trump openly threatens further military action against Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, and Denmark. The raid follows months of military buildup in the region, with 15,000 troops now stationed in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific—a costly operation that brings little benefit to the American people. Trump’s actions draw condemnation from partners and allies around the world and send a message to adversaries such as Putin and Xi that it is acceptable to take over countries in the pursuit of resources.
January 7, 2026
Trump refuses to rule out use of military force in Greenland
In a two-hour-long interview with The New York Times, President Trump refuses to rule out using military force to acquire Greenland, despite acknowledging the harm that it might cause to the NATO alliance. Just a day earlier, in response to Trump’s escalating threats, the prime minister of Denmark and six other European leaders had insisted on Greenland’s right to self-determination. By threatening military action against an ally, Denmark, Trump risks jeopardizing the transatlantic alliance, making the United States more isolated and vulnerable in the world.
January 7, 2026
Trump withdraws United States from 66 international bodies, abandoning America’s ability to lead and shape global decision-making
The Trump Global Weakness Watch tracker is a tool for accountability, but also for transformation. At a time when the Trump administration is engaged in a concerted effort to revise history at every turn, the tracker creates a documentary record that exposes the cracks in the “America First” foreign policy.
The Trump administration is weakening America’s military and security
The Trump administration’s politicization of the military—firing experienced leaders, deploying troops to American cities, and attacking those who serve—turns America’s national defense into spectacle. These moves do not make Americans safer. They distract from real threats and hurt those who protect Americans.
The Trump administration is weakening America’s economic power
The Trump administration’s manipulation of economic institutions and its trade wars worsen an economy that already disproportionately benefits the ultrawealthy. By undermining transparency, stability, and affordability, the administration makes it harder for working families to thrive. Its policies gut innovation, raise costs, and erode trust in the systems that should be building shared prosperity.
The Trump administration is weakening diplomatic power and global influence
The Trump administration’s foreign policy prizes loyalty over expertise, sidelining experienced diplomats in favor of elevating unqualified appointees and politicizing foreign policy and national security institutions that typically represent the interests of the American people, not the party in power. The administration has broken trust with America’s allies and partners, significantly weakening America’s ability to pursue key interests abroad. It has gutted the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and withdrawn the United States from key multilateral organizations. These moves do not benefit the American people, but leave America isolated as global threats are on the rise.
The Trump administration is strengthening America’s adversaries
As Trump retreats from global leadership, adversaries such as China and Russia have stepped in—not because they are stronger, but because the United States is leaving a vacuum. By cutting foreign assistance, dismantling USAID, and attacking multilateral institutions, Trump abandons potential allies worldwide—and the Americans who benefit from smart trade policies, global stability, and climate cooperation.
Why this matters now
Nearly every day of the second term, the Trump administration is making strategic choices that undermine U.S. power and create a more chaotic world. According to a 2025 Pew Research Center study, global confidence in U.S. leadership has plummeted, with many nations expressing low confidence in Trump’s leadership of world affairs. By systematically documenting these trends, the Trump Global Weakness Watch tracker empowers policymakers, advocates, and the public to understand the stakes and mobilize against this sharp erosion of American power.
This initiative is essential to uphold the integrity of U.S. institutions, safeguard democratic values, and restore America’s role as a global leader. It is a warning to reverse the damage and reimagine strength across military, economic, and diplomatic domains.
Trump Global Weakness Watch
2025 January 20, 2025
Trump’s executive order pausing all foreign assistance creates chaos and abdicates U.S. leadership
President Trump signs an executive order pausing nearly all U.S. foreign assistance for 90 days. Foreign assistance accounts for less than 1 percent of the federal budget, and its interruption results in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people around the world by mid-2025. The cuts affect Americans at home, with credible estimates suggesting as many as 250,000 Americans may be out of work due to the cuts. The cuts have also led to $23 billion in export losses and greater global risks of pandemic disease, conflict, and instability.
January 20, 2025
Trump withdraws from the World Health Organization (WHO), abandoning U.S leadership on global health
The Trump administration announces its withdrawal from the WHO, blaming it for mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic. This abandons America’s seat at the table, losing influence over global health decisions and the ability to coordinate to effectively address global public health threats.
January 20, 2025
Paris Agreement withdrawal signals global U.S. retreat from climate and energy security
On his first day in office, Trump issues an executive order to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, stopping U.S. implementation of the compact that underpins multilateral climate cooperation and signaling a retreat from global climate leadership.
January 24, 2025
Treasury Department lifts sanctions on violent Israeli settlers
The U.S. Treasury Department announces it will lift sanctions against Israeli settlers accused of violence in the occupied West Bank, where settler violence has claimed the lives of Palestinians, Americans, and others. One of the settlers who is granted sanctions relief, Yinon Levi, goes on to allegedly kill Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen in the West Bank on July 18, 2025. The lifting of sanctions against these individuals sends a message of impunity for human rights abuse and risks emboldening violence that destabilizes the West Bank and puts Americans and others directly in harm’s way.
January 27, 2025
Revocation of U.S. pledges to the Green Climate Fund (GCF)
The Trump administration sends a formal note to the U.N. secretary-general announcing the revocation of $4 billion in U.S. pledges to the GCF. By walking away from international climate finance, the administration not only weakens global efforts to fight climate change but also increases the costs Americans will face from climate-fueled instability.
February 1, 2025
Department of Homeland Security ends temporary protected status for millions fleeing fragile and war-torn countries
The Department of Homeland Security announces the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuela since then, it has also ended TPS for Haiti, Nicaragua, Honduras, Afghanistan, and Cameroon, with other conflict-affected states at risk of termination. As legal challenges continue, these sudden terminations force millions of vulnerable people back to countries they once fled, exposing them to life-threatening dangers. Not only do these actions dismantle decades of a bipartisan humanitarian precedent, but communities across the United States lose valuable contributors to the workforce and public life.
February 4, 2025
Trump pulls United States out of U.N. Human Rights Council
Trump signs an executive order pulling the United States out of the U.N. Human Rights Council and cuts all funding to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency. This reckless move dismantles decades of bipartisan U.S. leadership on human rights and humanitarian aid, leaving authoritarian regimes unchecked and millions of vulnerable people without critical support. By walking away from these institutions, Trump isolates America, erodes its moral authority, and hands adversaries an opening to rewrite global norms.
February 5, 2025
Trump administration dismantles FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force
The Trump administration dismantles the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, removing a key counterintelligence tool created to detect and counter covert influence operations, including those from China and Russia.
February 14, 2025
JD Vance berates allies at the Munich Security Conference I
In a politically charged speech, Vice President JD Vance accuses European partners of stifling free speech. Vance’s broadside attack on allies undermines cohesion on Russia and signals unreliable U.S. leadership.
February 19, 2025
The Trump administration dismantles the U.S. Institute of Peace
Trump issues executive order 14217 to dismantle the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP)—a congressionally funded body with the mission to prevent wars by building peace—and he eventually renames the building after himself on December 4, 2025. By March 28, 2025, USIP staff—who are not federally funded employees—are laid off, and the USIP building is taken over by DOGE. The takeover, which a district court judge later declares unlawful and a “gross usurpation of power,” undermines the government’s ability to achieve a more peaceful and stable world, particularly as USIP often complements U.S. official peacemaking efforts.
February 19, 2025
Trump eliminates the Presidential Management Fellows program
President Trump issues executive order 14217 to abolish the Presidential Management Fellows program, a key pipeline for recruiting and training top, diverse, graduate talent for federal service. This move dismantles a decades-old program that has supplied national security and foreign policy agencies with skilled professionals, creating a leadership vacuum that will take years to fill. By severing this talent pipeline, the United States weakens its ability to maintain a world-class cadre of diplomatic professionals capable of responding to global crises and advancing American interests in the world, and it removes a critical opportunity for Americans of all backgrounds to enter into government service.
February 20, 2025
Trump fires top military leaders
In what many have since described as the “Friday night massacre,” Trump and Secretary of Defense Hegseth abruptly fire the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General C.Q. Brown the chief of naval operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti the vice chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, General James Slife and the senior judge advocates general for the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Brown was the highest-ranking Black officer in the military and Franchetti was the highest-ranking woman in the Navy. Along with Slife, their firings represented a loss of more than 125 years of service in one fell swoop, demonstrating the Trump administration’s willingness to attack the most distinguished military leaders. This extraordinary move marks one of the first instances of the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine the military’s independence from political influence and erode its commitment to laws of armed conflict.
February 27, 2025
Trump berates Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Trump’s ambush of Zelenskyy in the Oval Office damaged U.S. credibility with its important partner and delivered a propaganda victory to Moscow. March 3-6, 2025 Trump pauses U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine The administration halts battlefield intel to Kyiv to force talks. Though the administration later resumes intelligence sharing, the move blunts Ukraine’s defenses and signals wavering U.S. resolve to Moscow and to allies in Europe.
March 5, 2025
United States ends data sharing on air pollution at embassies and consulates
The State Department ends a long-standing practice in which U.S. embassies and consulates shared data on local air pollution levels. Many developing countries rely entirely on U.S. embassy monitoring data, so its removal leaves vulnerable populations without accurate information on dangerous air conditions and risks contributing to worsening air pollution globally—including in the United States.
March 11, 2025
Signal group chat leaks
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz accidentally adds Jefferey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, to a Signal group chat of high-ranking U.S. national security officials. The chat included classified details of military operations against the Houthis in Yemen. On March 24, 2025, Goldberg published the contents of the chat, sparking a political scandal dubbed “Signalgate.” The incident raises grave concerns about security protocol and accountability among U.S. national security leaders entrusted with safeguarding the nation.
March 14, 2025
Trump shuts down Voice of America Trump signs an executive order to close Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia, which leaves millions of people in authoritarian societies without access to independent reporting and information. A federal judge blocked the order, including efforts to lay off about 500 employees, but court cases are ongoing. Closing these outlets—which have together broadcast for more than 75 years—strengthens the ability of America’s adversaries to spread propaganda and malign influence worldwide, effectively ceding to them the information space.
April 1, 2025
Trump administration returns indicted MS-13 members to El Salvador, evading American justice
The Trump administration strikes a secret deal with President Nayib Bukele to return violent gang leaders and informants back to El Salvador, disrupting ongoing criminal cases against the gang. In exchange, Bukele agrees to house deported Venezuelans in the brutal maximum security prison CECOT.
April 2, 2025
Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs backfire
Trump’s across-the-board tariffs have raised consumer prices, hurt U.S. farmers, caused layoffs of U.S. workers due to disrupted supply chains, and triggered retaliatory trade deals among allies. Since April 2025, a total of 58,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs have been lost. Tariffs isolate the United States from the world and do not restore jobs for Americans.
April 7, 2025
Trump administration guts global food security
The Trump administration terminates USAID contracts with the World Food Program and dismantles agricultural development and nutrition programs across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Aid groups warn this is a “death sentence” for famine-stricken populations and a strategic gift to adversaries, diminishing decades of U.S. humanitarian leadership and fueling instability worldwide.
April 29, 2025
Pentagon ends Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) program
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announces the termination of the WPS program, which has enabled U.S. forces to build trust with local communities and gain critical insights into complex environments when they are deployed. The dismantlement of the WPS program removes an essential tool that has kept American service members safe while pursuing security objectives.
May 2, 2025
Trump administration submits FY26 budget request, slashing foreign spending The Trump administration submits its fiscal year 2026 budget request to Congress, with devastating cuts to foreign assistance spending. Despite promising to continue lifesaving programs such as the bipartisan President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the request slashes spending on global health and humanitarian assistance it also repackages development assistance in an “America First” fund and significantly increases contributions to the Development Finance Corporation. The budget represents a significant retreat from U.S. presence around the world, at the same time as it seeks to increase spending on defense. This “America First” posture is a penny-wise and pound-foolish approach to national security, leaving a less stable world and increasing the risk of conflict, disease, and climate disasters.
May 13-16, 2025
Trump conflicts of interest in Gulf trip place personal business above security and rights
In his first international trip, President Trump travels to the Gulf and visits Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—nations where he and his family have personal business relationships. Trump promises that the United States will no longer deliver “lectures” on democracy and rights and announces $142 billion in prospective arms sales to Saudi Arabia, despite concerns about Saudi’s destabilizing role in the region and potential Chinese access to the weapons systems. Just prior to this trip, the State Department had approved two major arms sales to the UAE, and the Commerce Department had announced it would do away with export controls on sensitive technologies, paving the way for the UAE to acquireadvanced computing chips despite national security concerns about China’s ability to access the technology. The visit raises serious concerns about the president’s conflicts of interest, particularly given the gifts of a Qatari airliner and Gulf crypto investments into Trump family ventures. These conflicts of interest weaken the United States’ ability to pursue foreign policy that is in the best interest of the American people.
May 21, 2025
Trump officially accepts Qatari jet
A week after the president’s return from Doha, the Trump administration officially accepts Qatar’s gift of a Boeing aircraft to be used as Air Force One. The secretary of the Air Force estimates the cost to outfit it for official use is “probably” less than the value of the jet, though some estimates place the cost much higher. The gift raises serious concerns about conflicts of interest and security concerns around espionage, surveillance, and compromise of U.S. national security protocols. By accepting the jet, Trump sends the signal that he is willing to accept gifts in exchange for favorable relations, placing his own interests above those of the country and the American people.
May 21, 2025
Trump ambushes South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office
Trump hosts South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in a televised Oval Office meeting and confronts him with unverified “white genocide” claims. Ramaphosa emphasizes that acts of violence in South Africa are criminal activities, not political persecution. The spectacle strains relations with the United States’ largest trading partner in Africa and an emerging G20 leader, further ceding partnership opportunities on the continent to U.S. competitors.
May 23, 2025
Trump administration plans to pull U.S. troops from South Korea
Reports reveal the Trump administration is weighing a plan to withdraw 4,500 U.S. troops from South Korea—a move rooted in a transactional, “pay-to-play” approach to alliances. Pulling forces from the peninsula would shake America’s security commitments, fuel allies’ fears of U.S. abandonment, and weaken America’s ability to deter North Korea.
May 28, 2025
Trump bans Chinese students
The Trump administration proposed a new policy to “aggressively revoke” the visas of Chinese graduate students in STEM fields. This “war on talent” drives away some of the world’s brightest minds away from the United States and hands its competitive edge to rivals such as China.
May 29, 2025
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announces massive cuts to Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announces plans to cut up to 80 percent of staff in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and freeze $400 million in grants for pro-democracy groups. By this time, the State Department has already fired around 60 contractors from the bureau who provided technical and area expertise to senior officials. Rubio’s plan is manifested in a July State Department reorganization where more than 1,300 staff are laid off. The announcement further undermines U.S. credibility and efforts to defend fundamental rights and freedoms abroad—tools that underpin America’s ability to counter authoritarianism and advance stability worldwide.
June 3, 2025
Trump administration rescission request seeks to eliminate foreign spending
The Trump administration submits a $9.4 billion rescission package to Congress, seeking to claw back congressionally approved foreign aid and public broadcasting funds. Approximately $8.3 billion in cuts targets core foreign assistance accounts—including global health programs, development aid, humanitarian response, and contributions to multilateral institutions. While Congress later carves out some programs for protection, ultimately it approves a rescissions package that allows the president to cut around $7.9 billion in foreign assistance. These cuts eliminate programs that save lives, build goodwill for the United States abroad, and advance a more stable, predictable world.
June 9, 2025
United States retreats from ocean protections
The United States sends no official delegation to the U.N. Ocean Conference. By abandoning a seat at the table, the United States loses influence over global decisions on ocean health, fisheries, and coastal resilience—issues that directly affect American jobs, food security, and the protection of communities from rising seas and extreme weather.
June 21, 2025
Trump administration launches strikes on Iran
Trump authorizes Operation Midnight Hammer, a series of B-2 bomber strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. While Trump claims the program was “obliterated,” experts and Israeli officials later admitted that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile survived, and the strikes may have increased Iran’s political will to pursue nuclear weapons. The strikes also undermine diplomatic efforts, with Iran accusing the United States of betrayal and ruling out further negotiations on its nuclear program. U.N. inspectors are no longer allowed into Iran, depriving the international community of insight into Iran’s remaining nuclear facilities.
July 1, 2025
Trump administration eliminates the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
The Trump administration’s decision to eliminate USAID and slash foreign assistance programs—despite USAID accounting for only about 1 percent of the federal budget—creates a major shock to the global aid system. As of November 5, 2025, the elimination of USAID has resulted in 600,000 deaths, two-thirds of which are children. These cuts do not just cause humanitarian suffering they strip away America’s power to advance U.S. interests abroad, from stabilizing fragile states to countering authoritarian influence. By gutting America’s ability to lead on development and disaster relief, the administration has weakened U.S. leverage, jeopardized the lives of vulnerable populations, and ceded ground for adversaries to fill the void and advance their own interests.
July 7, 2025
Trump threatens Asian allies with tariffs
The Trump administration threatened key U.S. allies Japan and South Korea with punitive tariffs to extract economic concessions. This replaces mutual security cooperation with distrust, forcing Asian partners to question U.S. reliability and to hedge closer toward China.
July 11, 2025
The State Department fires Russia and Ukraine experts
The State Department fires senior analysts who warned that Russia was unlikely to end its aggression in Ukraine, challenging a more optimistic CIA assessment. Removing dissenting views from the intelligence community limits a more robust understanding of global threats, which leaves U.S. policymakers with a skewed picture that can impede their ability to most effectively protect national security.
July 11, 2025
State Department fires 1,300 employees in massive reorganization
The Trump administration executes one of the largest personnel cuts in State Department history, laying off more than 1,300 staff as part of a reorganization that eliminated offices focused on human rights, refugee resettlement, and war crimes. This hollowing out of expertise cripples U.S. crisis response and values-based diplomacy. The mass layoffs or shuttering of offices—including at the Human Rights Bureau, Office of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, Climate Diplomacy Office, Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Hub, and Office of Global Women’s Issues—deprive the diplomatic corps of critical tools to advance global stability.
July 14, 2025
Trump sets a “50-day” ultimatum for Russia to end the war and lets it expire without bringing Russia to the negotiation table
Trump announces a hard negotiation deadline and floats “secondary tariffs” on countries that buy Russian oil, then shifts messaging repeatedly, which muddies deterrence and invited tests of U.S. credibility. On September 2, 2025, the clock ran out on Trump’s deadline for Putin to end the war in Ukraine and no new penalties followed, confirming to allies and adversaries that U.S. red lines lack teeth.
July 22, 2025
United States withdraws from the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
The State Department announces the formal withdrawal of the United States from UNESCO. This decision erodes America’s influence on issues that shape the future: education, science, and cultural cooperation. By stepping back, the United States hands over leadership opportunities to others and risks becoming a spectator in arenas where it once set the standard.
July 25, 2025
Trump stalls plastics regulation
July 26, 2025
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth refuses military promotion over loyalty test
July 28, 2025
Trump relaxes key U.S. technology export controls to China
The Trump administration loosened critical export restrictions on trading advanced artificial intelligence and semiconductor technologies to China in pursuit of a trade deal. This decision dismantles a key U.S. leverage point and hands Beijing the very tools it needs to accelerate its military modernization—effectively sacrificing America’s long-term security for a short-term political win.
August 12, 2025
United States rejects global decarbonization in the shipping industry and threatens other countries
August 15, 2025
Putin gets the red carpet, but Alaska summit ends with no deal
August 20, 2025
Tulsi Gabbard weakens election interference office Director of National Intelligence
Tulsi Gabbard announces plans to reduce the Foreign Malign Influence Center and fold it into another office. This move eliminates a congressionally mandated office to counter foreign election interference and influence campaigns from American adversaries.
August 20, 2025
Trump administration sanctions International Criminal Court officials
The Trump administration sanctions four International Criminal Court (ICC) officials from France, Canada, Fiji, and Senegal over their efforts “to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute nationals of the United States or Israel.” (Three of the officials had been involved in the issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as senior Hamas leaders one had been involved in investigating U.S. personnel in Afghanistan.) This move directly attacks the independence of the global justice system and could create a diplomatic rift with 120 countries who are members of the ICC, further isolating the United States from key allies who support the international court.
August 26, 2025
Trump politicizes the Federal Reserve, threatening the U.S. dollar’s global role
Trump’s push to oust Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook and pressure the Fed to slash rates triggered warnings from global financial leaders. Undermining the Fed’s independence risks destabilizing the dollar—the world’s reserve currency—by eroding confidence in U.S. monetary policy. The Bank of England’s governor called the threat “very serious,” cautioning that politicized rate decisions could make the United States look unreliable to global markets. This would also raise borrowing costs for Americans and accelerate moves toward alternatives such as the yuan or euro.
August 28, 2025
After Alaska summit, Russia launches strikes on Ukraine
Following the failed Alaska summit, Russian strikes hit Ukrainian government and EU/British offices in Kyiv, which emboldens Moscow and makes U.S. warnings ring hollow.
August 29, 2025
Trump’s pocket rescissions attempt to gut democracy and development aid
Trump issues a pocket rescission to eliminate $4.9 billion in government funds for democracy, human rights, governance, and peacebuilding programs. The pocket rescission attempts to circumvent requirements for congressional approval by allowing funds to expire that had been earmarked for programs in election monitoring, civil society support, and health, as well as funding for pro-democracy organizations such as the National Endowment for Democracy. While the move is challenged in the courts, the rescission jeopardizes climate adaptation, democracy aid, and development assistance in vulnerable countries, eroding U.S. influence and leaving vulnerable communities more exposed to climate shocks, instability, and humanitarian crises.
September 2025
Trump’s tariffs push Brazil toward China’s markets
The Trump administration imposed 50 percent tariffs on Brazilian goods in retaliation for Brazil’s prosecution of its former president for his attempted coup, accelerating Brazil’s expansion into Chinese markets. China bought 7.2 million tons of Brazilian soybeans in September, while U.S. soybean farmers lost sales. This not only cedes economic influence to China, but it also fuels Amazon deforestation as Brazil clears land for soy cultivation.
September 2, 2025
Trump administration abuses U.S. wartime powers with strikes in the Caribbean
The Trump administration begins an unlawful military campaign of lethal strikes on boats in the Western Hemisphere. The administration claims that these strikes are against narcoterrorists without presenting any evidence or legal justification. These actions bypass Congress, violate international law, set a dangerous precedent for unchecked presidential power, and do not curb the flow of drugs.
September 8, 2025
Trump ends U.S. Participation in EU disinformation efforts
The Trump administration ended U.S. participation in a joint effort with the European Union to combat foreign disinformation. This decision abandons a critical transatlantic tie, making both the United States and Europe more vulnerable to malign influence campaigns from China and Russia.
September 12, 2025
Trump praises China's courts
In a TV interview, Trump suggested U.S. courts should emulate China’s authoritarian judicial system. This open admiration for a system that lacks due process undermines the U.S. rule of law and weakens America’s credibility to criticize China for its human rights abuses.
September 19, 2025
Exorbitant H1B visa fee
Trump introduced a $100,000 fee for new H1B visas for skilled workers as part of his immigration crackdown. This harms key American high-tech industries that rely heavily on skilled workers from abroad.
September 23, 2025
Trump's combative speech at the United Nations 80th General Assembly
Trump gives a combative speech at the U.N. General Assembly’s 80th anniversary convening. Trump attacks the United Nations and tells other member states: “Your countries are going to hell.” In the speech, Trump also dismisses climate science, calling climate action a “con job” and attacking multilateral climate efforts. Such high-profile denials undercut the authority of science in diplomatic fora and damage U.S. credibility. The speech further demonstrates Trump’s abdication of global leadership, leaving adversaries to fill the void.
September 30, 2025
Trump and Hegseth convene military leaders in unprecedented meeting to push political agenda
Trump and Hegseth require military leaders, including hundreds of admirals and generals serving in critical posts all around the world, to come to Quantico, Virginia. In the meeting, Hegseth and Trump push “anti-woke” policies. Hegseth also lectures the leaders on fitness standards, threatens to deploy the military in American cities, and advocates “maximum lethality” in the rules of engagement. These positions not only undermine military efforts to recruit and retain the best fighting force, but they also politicize the military and divert attention from pressing national security issues.
October 14, 2025
Trump’s Argentina bailout puts U.S. farmers and taxpayers at risk
Trump funneled $20 billion in aid into Argentina without congressional approval to bail out Javier Milei, Argentina’s far-right leader, ahead of critical elections. Immediately following the bailout, Argentina began exporting soybeans to China, backfilling market share lost by American farmers because of the Trump administration’s trade war. Trump then suggested that the United States quadruple imports of Argentine beef, emphasizing the economic well-being of Argentine ranchers ahead of American farmers and ranchers, who called the proposal “a betrayal.”
October 18, 2025
Trump escalates military and economic pressure on Colombia
After U.S. strikes killed Colombians in Caribbean waters, Trump slashed security aid to Colombia and sanctioned President Gustavo Petro. These moves jeopardize Colombia’s counter-narcotics operations and Black Hawk fleet maintenance, which fractures a decades-long counter-narcotics and security partnership and risks destabilizing a key U.S. ally in South America.
October 24, 2025
Trump administration cuts labor rights protection programs
The Trump administration cuts more than $700 million in USAID, Department of Labor, and State Department programs that support labor rights abroad, including those that advance protections against forced labor and workplace violence. Tackling labor abuses abroad levels the playing field to protect American jobs, ensures fair competition, and makes trade work for both workers and businesses, which is why these programs have earned strong support from U.S. companies and bipartisan backing from Congress. Their removal weakens these safeguards for American businesses.
October 30, 2025
Junior DOGE political appointee replaces admiral in charge of naval research
Rear Admiral Kurt Rothenhaus, a seasoned leader as chief of naval research, is replaced by a 33-year-old former DOGE employee and former McKinsey partner with no apparent naval experience. Replacing an experienced career military officer with an inexperienced appointee undermines the Navy’s ability to effectively oversee cutting-edge research, manage multibillion dollar investments in research and development, and maintain technological superiority over American adversaries.
October 30, 2025
Trump pushes for nuclear weapons testing
President Trump orders the Pentagon to restart U.S. nuclear weapons tests for the first time in decades, shattering long-standing global agreements designed to prevent an arms race. This reckless move risks triggering a dangerous spiral of nuclear escalation and alarms allies who depend on U.S. leadership to keep the world safe.
October 31, 2025
United States sends no official delegation to COP30, the 2025 U.N. Climate Change Conference
The Trump administration sends no “high-level representatives” to attend the global climate summit, marking the first time in COP history that the United States abstains entirely from formal representation. This absence weakens American influence over global climate policy, ceding its diplomatic leadership and ability to shape key climate finance and emissions-reduction agreements to other countries.
October 31, 2025
With United States absent, China pushes global AI governance at APEC
At the APEC summit, Xi Jinping proposed a World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, positioning China as a leader in tech governance. The Trump administration was notably absent from the summit, leaving U.S. influence in new technologies behind and allowing China to set the rules on global trade.
November 1, 2025
Trump’s China trade deal does little to help Americans
Days after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, Trump struck a bilateral deal with Xi Jinping to ease his trade war, cutting tariffs and securing Chinese pledges to delay export controls on rare earth and agreeing to restart soybean purchases. Yet the deal did nothing to address China’s nonmarket practices, its abhorrent labor practices, or its predatory export policies.
November 8, 2025
United States boycotts the G20 summit in South Africa
Trump orders a full boycott of the G20 in South Africa, citing false allegations of genocide against white South Africans. Since the G20 is the world’s main forum for coordinating economic policy, shaping rules on trade, debt relief, and financial stability amongst the largest economies, the United States forfeits a seat at the table where decisions on global growth and crisis response are made. This gives adversaries a chance to rewrite the rules to their advantage while Americans are left behind.
November 11, 2025
United Kingdom halts some intelligence sharing with the United States
Britain stops sharing certain intelligence with Washington over concerns that U.S. strikes on suspected drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean violate international law. The U.K. provides intelligence to support regional counterdrug operations. This move marks a rare public split between America and one of its closest allies, and diminished access to allied intelligence makes the American people less safe.
November 12, 2025
European leaders reject legal basis for the United States’ strikes in the Caribbean
On the sidelines of the G7 in Ontario, Canada, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, and Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s foreign minister, each stated that recent U.S. strikes in the Caribbean lacked any legal basis under international law. Their remarks highlight how the United States stands isolated within the international community, including among its closest allies.
November 17, 2025
Trump announces F 35 fighter jet sales to Saudi Arabia
Trump confirmed plans to sell America’s most advanced stealth fighter—the F 35—to Saudi Arabia, calling it a win for U.S. ties. Saudi Arabia has deep defense partnerships with China, and its history of security leaks makes it a prime target for espionage. Even limited exposure to F 35 technology—such as through stealth coatings or radar systems—could help China speed up its own fighter programs and erode America’s edge in the skies. By prioritizing short term deals over long term safeguards, Trump risks handing Beijing a boost for its defense strategy.
November 18, 2025
Trump rejects U.S. intelligence assessment in meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman
President Trump apparently rejects a CIA assessment that Crown Prince Salman was aware of and had approved the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The friendly meeting also undermines the efforts of the families of 9/11 victims to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for its involvement in the attacks, given ongoing lawsuits linking Saudi officials to the attacks. The meeting comes at a time when Saudi investors have invested in crypto and real estate ventures that benefit the Trump family, raising serious concerns about Trump’s conflicts of interests. Potentially placing Trump’s own personal interests over those seeking justice for 9/11 and Saudi’s acts of transnational repression, the visit weakens the United States’ ability to pursue justice and keep Americans safe.
November 19, 2025
Leaked 28-point “peace plan” exposes Trump administration bowing to Russian interests in Ukraine settlement
A 28-point blueprint for ending the war in Ukraine leaked to the press, where it called on Ukraine to cede territory, limit its armed forces to roughly 600,000 personnel, renounce NATO membership in its constitution, and freeze its membership ambitions—all long-standing demands of Russia. Kyiv and its European partners reacted sharply, warning the document reads less like a U.S. peace offer and more like a Russian roadmap for Ukraine’s defeat.
November 30, 2025
Leaked internal FBI dossier exposes deep dysfunction under Director Kash Patel
A 115-page internal report, authored by active-duty and former FBI agents, portrays the bureau under Patel’s leadership as a “rudderless ship” and “internally paralyzed by fear,” with agents hesitant to act without explicit orders. This dysfunction hampers the FBI’s ability to protect Americans from domestic and foreign threats.
December 2, 2025
Independent Pentagon press corps replaced with pro-administration media
After most members of the Pentagon press corps refused to agree to new rules that could punish journalists for reporting unauthorized information, the Trump administration restricted their access and replaced the press corps with pro-administration media outlets and conspiracy theorists. Press freedom advocates such as the National Press Club deemed this to be a direct assault on independent journalism, making it harder for the public to hold the Defense Department accountable.
December 2, 2025
Trump pardons former Honduras president and convicted drug trafficker
Trump pardons former president of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernández, who was serving a 45-year prison sentence for drug trafficking charges—including accepting bribes to help traffic 400 tons of cocaine to the United States. According the U.S. Justice Department, Hernández “leveraged the Government of Honduras’ law enforcement, military, and financial resources to further his drug trafficking scheme.”
December 4, 2025
Pentagon watchdog concludes Defense Secretary Hegseth placed U.S. military operations and national security at risk
Defense Secretary Hegseth endangered U.S. operations by sharing precise strike times in a Signal group chat on an unapproved device, according to a Pentagon inspector general report. The leaked details—normally confined to secure channels—could have allowed Houthi militants to shoot down American aircrafts or fortify defenses, putting troops and national security at serious risk.
December 4, 2025
Trump’s new national security strategy weakens U.S. global influence and strengthens adversaries
The Trump administration’s “National Security Strategy” marks a dramatic shift in U.S. global leadership. It rebukes Europe for what it calls a risk of “civilizational erasure” and notably softens criticism of adversaries such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. This approach has alarmed American allies while drawing praise from the Kremlin, which said that the strategy aligns closely with Moscow’s view.
December 4, 2025
Trump halts Chinese spy agency sanctions
The Trump administration halted planned sanctions against a Chinese intelligence agency to preserve a trade truce. This decision prioritizes short-term economic concerns over national security, emboldening Beijing’s espionage operations and compromising efforts to counter Chinese intelligence theft within the United States.
December 8, 2025
Trump approves advanced chip exports to China
The Trump administration authorized Nvidia to export its powerful H200 AI chips to China in exchange for a 25 percent tax on sales. This reversal of U.S. export controls hands Beijing the specific high-performance computing power needed to supercharge its military AI and surveillance state, effectively narrowing America’s national security and technological advantages.
December 22, 2025
Trump administration orders dozens of U.S. ambassadors to leave their posts
With little explanation, the Trump administration orders up to 30 career ambassadors to leave their posts and return to the United States, leaving embassies without leadership. The extraordinary move pulls hundreds of years of collective experience from the field and leaves vacancies in countries around the world, many in regions where China and Russia could expand their diplomatic activities.
December 22, 2025
Trump announces new “Trump-class” battleship, dumping military resources into an unnecessary vanity project
Trump announces new class of battleship that is named after himself. Defense analysts criticize this announcement as an expensive waste of time and money as these proposed ships are ill-suited for America’s naval combat needs, will be vulnerable to attack, and are unlikely to ever be launched.
2026
January 3, 2026
Trump orders military raid to abduct Venezuela’s president, demanding U.S. control of oil interests
The Trump administration conducts a military operation to seize Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, flying them to New York to face federal charges. After the raid, President Trump says the United States will be “running” the country and taking control over its oil sector. Trump openly threatens further military action against Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, and Denmark. The raid follows months of military buildup in the region, with 15,000 troops now stationed in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific—a costly operation that brings little benefit to the American people. Trump’s actions draw condemnation from partners and allies around the world and send a message to adversaries such as Putin and Xi that it is acceptable to take over countries in the pursuit of resources.
January 7, 2026
Trump refuses to rule out use of military force in Greenland
In a two-hour-long interview with The New York Times, President Trump refuses to rule out using military force to acquire Greenland, despite acknowledging the harm that it might cause to the NATO alliance. Just a day earlier, in response to Trump’s escalating threats, the prime minister of Denmark and six other European leaders had insisted on Greenland’s right to self-determination. By threatening military action against an ally, Denmark, Trump risks jeopardizing the transatlantic alliance, making the United States more isolated and vulnerable in the world.
January 7, 2026
Trump withdraws United States from 66 international bodies, abandoning America’s ability to lead and shape global decision-making
