Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, U.S. President Donald Trump, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and NATO Leaders participate in a working session during the NATO summit at Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8.ALEXIS JUMEAU/AFP/Getty Images
Acts of aggression that produce the very opposite of their intent have become a hallmark of Donald Trump’s second presidency. Mr. Trump believes U.S. military and economic might are so great that he can dictate terms to the world. But he has left his country weaker.
While campaigning for a second term as president, Mr. Trump famously promised that he would end the war between Russia and Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office. He clearly favoured Russian President Vladimir Putin over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, even though Mr. Putin had invaded Ukraine for no purpose other than conquest.
Mr. Trump and Vice-President JD Vance publicly berated Mr. Zelensky in front of journalists during an ugly confrontation in the Oval Office in February, 2025. “You don’t have the cards,” Mr. Trump told the Ukrainian President, urging a ceasefire that would be favourable to Russia.
Less than a year and a half later, the Russian offensive appears to have stalled, even as Ukrainian drones and missiles wreak havoc on energy installations in Russia and Russian-occupied Crimea. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Ukraine now possesses “the strongest, most powerful armed forces in all of Europe.”
Last week, Mr. Trump met with and once again berated his NATO allies. Since his first presidency, he has made it clear that the United States might not come to Europe’s defence were it to be attacked by Russia, on the grounds that many of its members were failing to pull their own weight.
They’re pulling now. All NATO military members are spending at least 2 per cent of GDP on defence, with expenditures in many countries, including Canada, climbing higher. It is entirely possible now to imagine a NATO that can defend itself without the United States. And every other member of NATO has flatly rejected Mr. Trump’s demand that Denmark cede Greenland to the United States.
Mr. Trump thought he could eliminate trade deficits and reshore manufacturing by slapping tariffs on imports. This simply encouraged other countries to diversify trade.
The Canadian government is committed to doubling trade with countries outside the U.S. over the course of the next decade. Several agreements are already in place, including an EVs-for-canola swap with China, and officials hope to have agreements with India, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Mercosur, a South American trade bloc, signed by the end of this year.
And Mr. Trump’s declaration that Canada could avoid tariffs by becoming “our beautiful, treasured 51st state” has left elbows-up patriots promoting national pride. Canada is largely boycotting the sale of American beer, wine and spirits, while travel to the United States has sharply declined.
In attacking Iran in February, the U.S. President thought that he could decapitate the leadership, end any threat of the country acquiring nuclear weapons and perhaps prompt a successful uprising leading to regime change. Instead, the mullahs and Revolutionary Guard remain in charge, the uranium stockpile remains intact and Tehran is attempting to control passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
And in the latest of his many debacles, Mr. Trump sought to overturn the red card suspension of American footballer Folarin Balogun in advance of the sudden-death World Cup game between the United States and Belgium. A FIFA disciplinary committee did suspend the suspension, to the outrage of Belgian officials and millions of soccer fans, but no avail, as Belgium crushed the U.S. team 4-1. Mr. Trump’s efforts served only to discredit himself and FIFA.
All of these reversals have resulted in a new word: de-Americanization, which refers to the efforts of America’s allies and other nations to insulate themselves from an increasingly insular and aggressive United States government. In his landmark Davos speech in January, Prime Minister Mark Carney implicitly warned that the changes in Washington are to some extent permanent, and that middle powers should work together to preserve the Western alliance.
In an odd way, the 47th President has been a tremendous asset to Canada and the world. He has bolstered European solidarity and support for Ukraine, strengthened NATO, encouraged Canada to diversify its economy and increase its defences, while bolstering trade and collective security among and between Atlantic and Pacific nations.
Donald Trump has, unintentionally, made the world a better place for many countries. Just not his own.