Foreign & Public Diplomacy

Ongoing reports and analysis

In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has once again put U.S. credibility under assault. His erratic aggression in Iran, unilateral decision-making, and rhetorical attacks on allies have made clear—if it wasn’t already abundantly so—that Washington is becoming a more reckless, less predictable partner.

Just how much damage has been done to U.S. credibility—and how easily can it be repaired?

In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has once again put U.S. credibility under assault. His erratic aggression in Iran, unilateral decision-making, and rhetorical attacks on allies have made clear—if it wasn’t already abundantly so—that Washington is becoming a more reckless, less predictable partner.

Just how much damage has been done to U.S. credibility—and how easily can it be repaired?

Americans have slowly come to realize that rebuilding the world’s trust will be a long and arduous process. But many still hope that, after Trump, steadier leadership and more consistent foreign policy can begin to undo the damage.

But this hope does not reckon with the full extent of the challenge. As new research shows, foreign audiences respond to structural features of U.S. politics—especially polarization—and not just the characteristics of individual leaders. In short, they recognize that even if the next U.S. president proves to be more credible, this doesn’t matter so long as the system itself remains broken.

Along with my colleague Helen Webley-Brown, I study how Americans—as well as their allies and partners—assess the United States’ international reputation. In our research, we have asked more........

© Foreign Policy