Recently, former US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan made a stark observation about the state of America’s global standing. According to him, under the leadership of President Donald Trump, the “US brand value is in the toilet.” He argued that the United States has become the world’s biggest disruptor, while countries like China and Russia are emerging as more stable and predictable actors. Sullivan warned that the policies pursued by Trump have severely eroded global trust in America.

This assessment is not surprising to those who closely follow the language, conduct, and policy approaches of Trump and his loyalists, including Peter Navarro. Their rhetoric has repeatedly crossed the limits of decency and diplomatic protocol, setting a dangerous precedent. Traditional norms of diplomatic behaviour—standards of respect, restraint, and predictability—have been tossed aside. Today, the language used by American leaders under Trump has become openly confrontational, bizarre, and even threatening, including toward India.

Statements such as “Modi’s war,” “dead economy,” and “India going into bed with Putin and Xi” have been accompanied by racially insensitive remarks, such as claims that Brahmins are benefiting from India’s purchases of Russian oil.

This is a profound departure from the historical image of the United States as the oldest liberal democracy in the world and a normative power in global affairs. Diplomatic norms, which once held significant weight, are now largely disregarded. Trump’s conduct has not only humiliated foreign leaders—such as the South African president—but also undermined global diplomatic processes, including his ambush and public insulting of President Zelensky of Ukraine at the White House.

Adding to the damage, Trump frequently uses his own social media platform, Truth Social, to share information and make major announcements without any internal discussion, consultation, or thought process, bypassing established diplomatic channels and disregarding all norms of diplomacy.

For any leader in an important position—especially the President of the United States, whose words carry significant global weight—every statement should be carefully considered. Yet Trump does the opposite: he says one thing in the morning, another by the afternoon, abuses China in one breath, and in the next claims he gets along well with Xi Jinping and will soon visit Beijing. This unpredictability has further destabilized America’s global reputation.

The transactional approach Trump pursued—seeking win-lose outcomes in trade deals and international relations—threatens America’s long-term alliances and global influence. Under this approach, no........

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