Make Me Smart What happened to American soft power?
Sep 23, 2025
Joshua Eisenman, a politics professor at the Keough School of Global Affairs, joins to discuss shifts in American soft power under President Trump. He highlights the U.S. retreat from global institutions and how this impacts its credibility. Eisenman explores how China is capitalizing on this moment to gain influence, emphasizing the effects on smaller countries caught in the U.S.-China rivalry. He also contrasts the U.S.'s transactional diplomacy with China's long-term relational strategies, providing insights into the changing global landscape.
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Cuts Eroding U.S. Global Credibility
- The Trump administration has cut major democracy and development programs, eroding longstanding U.S. engagement.
- Joshua Eisenman argues this pattern damages U.S. credibility and undermines decades of liberal-democracy promotion.
Credibility Loss Creates A Geopolitical Vacuum
- Credibility is hard to win and easy to lose, and U.S. inconsistency is creating a vacuum in global leadership.
- Joshua Eisenman says Russia and China are filling that vacuum and gaining legitimacy at high levels.
Rules-Based Order Enabled Human Development
- U.S.-led rules-based order let smaller countries avoid constant war preparations and invest in welfare.
- Reversing that order risks higher defense spending and diminished global stability, Eisenman warns.