Trump's first 100 days on the international stage

This dossier includes a series of articles by ten scholars, diplomats, and editors specializing in international affairs, including Richard Haass, Jennifer Rubin, Robert Malley, and others. They seek to assess the foreign policies pursued by US President Donald Trump during the first 100 days of his second term. The dossier covers a range of topics, from economic and trade policies to traditional military alliances, shifts in relations with China and Russia, positions on Middle East crises, and the moral and diplomatic implications of Washington's retreat from its traditional leadership role. Based on this content, the following text provides an analytical reading of the most prominent features of this phase of US foreign policy, as manifested during the first 100 days of President Trump's second term.

With Donald Trump's return to the White House at the beginning of this year, the United States and the world entered a new phase of tensions and radical transformations. The president, long known for breaking norms and challenging institutions, returned to power in an international context more complex than that of his first term: a protracted war in Ukraine, rising Chinese influence, and waning allies' confidence in the liberal international order. During the first 100 days of his second term, Trump implemented a sharp and rapid foreign policy that targeted both Washington's adversaries and its traditional allies. It appeared as though he sought to reshape the global order not through construction, but rather through pressure, dismantling, and nationalist retreat.

An "America First" Economy, But at What Cost?

From the first day of his second term, Trump reaffirmed his core slogan: "America First." This time, however, he implemented this principle through more aggressive economic measures than before. He imposed heavy tariffs on strategic imports from China, Mexico, and Canada, and renewed the threat of tariffs on the European auto sector, a move that caused financial markets to panic.

Relations with China have also entered a period of unprecedented tension in decades, with tariffs exceeding 100% imposed on technology imports, while Beijing responded by halting the supply of rare earths, threatening to disrupt global supply chains. At the same time, other countries, such as India and Brazil, have begun taking measures to protect themselves from waves of US secondary sanctions, revealing Washington's loss of prestige as a regulatory power in global trade.

Domestically, US markets have not been spared the repercussions of these policies. Prices have seen significant increases, particularly in industrial and food products, and some confidence indicators in the manufacturing sector have declined, marking the first sign that the protectionist approach may not lead to the growth boost Trump promised his voters.

Dismantling alliances and replacing them with immediate deals

Trump's first 100 days in his second term were not only filled with economic measures but also saw major shake-ups in relations with traditional allies. The US president continued to pressure European countries to increase their contributions to NATO, threatening to reduce US defense commitments, sparking growing concern in Berlin and Paris. In Asia, the US administration exerted financial and political pressure on Japan and South Korea, demanding that they fully fund the US military presence or face withdrawal. In return, the two countries began increasing their defense coordination with Australia and India, indicating a search for a regional balancer away from US pressure.

In Latin America, Trump used the immigration issue as a tough bargaining chip, deporting thousands of migrants and imposing strict security conditions on cooperation with Mexico and Central American countries. On the diplomatic front, US development aid has declined significantly, paving the way for China to strengthen its economic presence in the region. In short, Trump has replaced the logic of an alliance based on trust and continuity with the logic of a temporary deal and immediate interest, eroding US influence even among its closest allies.

The Middle East between escalation and contraction

In the Middle East, Trump's policies in his second term appeared to be an extension of his previous approach, but without a clear strategic vision. He continued to provide unconditional support for Israel, while endorsing the annexation of parts of the West Bank. At the same time, he exerted behind-the-scenes pressure to halt military operations in Gaza for fear of a broader regional escalation. Trump offered no new political initiative on the Palestinian issue, instead refreezing aid to the Palestinian Authority and tightening the noose on international institutions operating in the occupied territories. On the Iranian issue, he returned to the language of maximum sanctions, without hinting at any alternative diplomatic path, contenting himself with media and cyber escalation.

This strategic blunder has created a diplomatic vacuum in one of the world's most fragile regions. Russia has reactivated its channels with both Iran and Syria, while China has increased its investments in Gulf infrastructure, without facing a decisive US response. This demonstrates that the US retreat from the region was not planned but rather improvised, opening the door to other regional and international actors.

The erosion of US moral leadership

Perhaps the most profound shift in Trump's foreign policy is the decline of so-called American "moral leadership," which has long been based on the principles of human rights and democracy. Over the past 100 days, there has been no clear US position on the violations in Myanmar, the repression in Iran, or the restriction of freedoms in some allied regimes. Democracy and civil society support programs have also declined, and funding for international organizations has been reduced, while the Trump administration has strengthened its ties with authoritarian regimes under the pretext of combating terrorism or protecting economic interests.

This shift in rhetoric and behavior has eroded the United States' image as a moral authority, leading many people, and even some Western elites, to view Washington as a self-interested force not much different from its major power rivals.

conclusion

The first 100 days of Trump's second term have clearly revealed the contours of a new, slowly emerging world order, with the traditional American role as a center of stability and leadership declining. Policies based on escalation, isolation, and the delegitimization of allies and partners are not building influence, but rather dismantling it. While Trump may achieve some domestic political gains in the short term, the world has already begun to reorganize its alliances and strategies, freeing itself—at least partially—from the grip of traditional American hegemony. Therefore, the greatest danger lies not in Trump's decisions themselves, but in the logic that governs them, a logic that views the international system as nothing more than a platform for deals, rather than a network of shared interests and principles.