ABSTRACT
Despite the election of Joseph Biden in 2020, Donald Trump’s presidency has had a significant impact on U.S. politics and its role in the world. Specifically, Trump’s tenure laid bare a crisis of American soft power--the ability to influence others through attraction--which is a critical element of global leadership. This paper analyzes the long-term impact of Trump’s time in office on America’s soft power. While Biden’s response to the Ukraine crisis has reversed a precipitous decline in global percpetions of U.S. leadership, Trump’s tenure (and potential return) remains a persistent, negative influence unlikely to dissipate over time.
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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
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David W. Kearn
David W. Kearn, Jr. is Associate Professor in the Department of Government & Politics at St. John’s University in Queens, New York. His research interests include international relations theory, U.S. foreign and defense policy, military innovation, nuclear weapons, and arms control.