Since recently becoming president, Donald Trump has made efforts to isolate the United States from other countries, reducing both collaboration and the goodwill the United States has with the international community. To start off, Donald Trump removed the United States from the World Health Organization the same day he was inaugurated. He has also shut down foreign aid programs around the world, a major blow to countries around the world as the United States “provides 4 out of every 10 dollars donated for humanitarian aid.” Additionally, he has imposed tariffs on Mexico, China and Canada. These three countries are among the top trade partners of the United States, and they have also started to institute retaliatory tariffs (“Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum immediately ordered retaliatory tariffs” and Canada “put matching 25% tariffs on up to $155 billion in U.S. imports.”)
President Trump’s actions all have the overarching impact of limiting the collaboration that the United States has with other countries and reducing the goodwill that we have. This is a dangerous, yet expected direction for Trump. By putting us at odds with the countries we support and are economically connected with, it hinders our ability to work together with them, especially when it is most needed. One example is the COVID-19 pandemic, an instance in which it was and is critical for countries to work together to ensure people’s safety. From a safety and defense perspective, this is also a dangerous move, especially given the role of the United States in conflicts all over the world.
Trump’s actions also have negative impacts when looked at from a more ideological point of view. Collaboration is the bedrock of how we move forward as a society and as an economy. By working together, countries can help propel innovation, foster peace and overall increase people’s well-being. Specifically looking from a trade perspective, free trade has a clear benefit on the economy, allowing countries to play to their strengths, giving them access to sell goods around the world, and allowing countries to easily access goods from overseas, which in many cases are cheaper. In the long term, free trade benefits the American people and American businesses, as well as the overall world economy.
According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, there are several benefits of trade, including higher-paying jobs for those involved in exporting, an increased array of products that can be purchased and promoting faster economic growth. The Bay Area Economic Institute cites that “in 2014, up to $13.4 billion in tariff savings benefited consumers through lower costs.” These are just a few of the reasons that free trade benefits the United States and its consumers and businesses as a whole, something President Trump is working to reduce.
Overall, President Trump has been promoting a trend of isolationism for the United States, which is negative for the country on a variety of levels. It reduces our ability to easily collaborate with other countries, which could have a large impact during times of crisis. It also economically restricts Americans from the many benefits that free trade has to offer, hurting our country’s economy as a whole. While this is one of the many efforts President Trump has made in office, it is certainly a significant one that will not help the country.