Eugene Robinson Says Trump’s ‘Who Cares’ Foreign Policy Weakens U.S. Global Standing

Celebrity Gossips
Alexis N. Crockett
February 19, 2025
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6 minutes read

PHOTO: JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES

Donald Trump’s erratic foreign policy is steering the United States on a path with little consideration for its global responsibilities, according to a new analysis. The first four weeks of the president’s second term have demonstrated a blatant disregard for long-standing alliances and commitments, with Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson summarizing the administration’s attitude as “who cares?”

“Who cares if Russian dictator Vladimir Putin gets to keep the wide swath of Ukraine’s territory he seized in a brutal, unprovoked invasion?” Robinson wrote. “Who cares if the newly contemptuous U.S. stance toward the democracies of Europe makes them feel abandoned and vulnerable?” he continued. “Who cares if the leaders of wealthy, technologically advanced nations such as Britain, France, Germany, and Italy — effectively demilitarized, beneath the U.S. umbrella, since the apocalypse of World War II — decide they now have no choice but to massively rearm?”

“Who cares if the Palestinians are permanently denied their dream of an independent state?” Robinson added. “Who cares if children die in regions of Africa ravaged by war, famine, and disease? Trump promised to cut federal spending, and although foreign aid is just 1 percent of the budget, the U.S. Agency for International Development is an easy target for Elon Musk and his ‘Department of Government Efficiency.’”

Trump has also taken an antagonistic approach toward neighboring allies Canada and Mexico, issuing threats of tariffs and territorial annexation, similar to his actions toward Panama and Greenland. Robinson argues that the president is actively dismantling decades of diplomatic efforts aimed at strengthening U.S. security.

“Trump promised to make America great again, but he is doing the polar opposite,” Robinson wrote. “His bellicose chest-thumping makes this nation smaller, weaker, more isolated — and negates the concept of American exceptionalism. Bullying is a behavior that can intimidate, as anyone who has spent time in a schoolyard knows. But it does not project genuine strength.

It reveals insecurity, weakness, and overcompensation for some deficiencies. Trump’s foreign policy is that of a paper tiger, not a real one.” Robinson warns that Trump’s abdication of American leadership on the global stage is creating a power vacuum that China is poised to fill. “Trump is leading us not toward greatness, but toward surrender,” Robinson concluded.