Trump's damage to the US nationally and internationally

International relations

A Foreign Affairs magazine article, The World Is Giving Up on America, summarizes reasons that our allies and some other nations now have negative opinions of the US government, its trustworthiness, and its disrespect for personal freedoms. Foreign nations that Trump has threatened and insulted are undergoing a slow process of de-coupling from American entanglements when possible. A 36 nation survey found that solid majorities (correctly) believe that the US government does not respect the personal freedoms of its people. 

Biden was viewed more positively than Trump, and approval of the United States’ approach to world affairs and its respect for individual liberties at home, returned or nearly returned to pre-Trump levels in many countries during his presidency. That has reversed since Trump took office in Jan. 2025. Foreign publics mostly disapprove of Trump’s approach to immigration, trade, climate policies, international relations and military interventions. Allies no longer trust the US to be a reliable partner for addressing major international problems.

Foreign public opinion is generally not far out of synch with majority US public opinion on the same issues.

Economic impacts

Loss of trust and dislike of Trump and his politics is starting to generate significant economic losses. There are measurable economic costs from reduced tourism and exports, higher risk assessments on US assets, increased macro‑uncertainty, and damage to the “safe haven” status of the US economy. Cost estimates range from tens of billions of dollars annually to significantly more. Damage has negatively affected both growth and borrowing costs. 

Info sources: 

The biggest economic risk from Donald Trump’s presidency is a loss of confidence in US governance -- Trump’s economic policies may prove surprisingly benign in the short term. But steps that undermine domestic US institutions and international alliances would do serious and lasting damage.

The World Is Cutting Ties With America. It’s Already Costing Us. -- As Mr. Trump muses about making Canada a 51st state, it has embarked on a “new strategic partnership” with China, opened its market for the first time to 50,000 Chinese electric vehicles and joined a more than $150 billion European defense fund aimed at breaking the dependency on the American defense industry.

Unusual sell-off in the dollar raises specter of investors losing trust in the U.S. under Trump

Businesses, investors ‘flying blind’ when trust in government statistics declines

Costs from Trump's tariffs paid mainly by US firms and consumers, NY Fed says

THE COST OF TRUMP'S FOREIGN POLICY: DAMAGE AND CONSEQUENCES 

FOR U.S. AND GLOBAL SECURITY