PNN – An American publication wrote that Trump’s approach of relying exclusively on “hard power” and eliminating “soft power” reduces America’s influence in the world and damages the country’s reputation.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, the American magazine Foreign Policy wrote that one of the most prominent features of American foreign policy during Donald Trump’s presidency is the excessive reliance on hard power, that is, military power and economic pressure, and the almost complete disregard for America’s “soft power.”
Steven Walt, a co-author of the magazine and a professor of international relations at Harvard University, wrote in an article that the United States used to excel at a policy of combining hard and soft power that gave it a unique global advantage, but that balance has been severely disrupted under Trump.
Walt believes that Trump’s approach reflects an “absolute reliance on hard power” and an almost complete disdain for soft power. He cited the aggressive use of tariffs to pressure allies, the repeated engagement in military operations in several countries, and the decision to go to war with Iran as examples of this, emphasizing that these policies stem from the belief that force and coercion are sufficient to achieve American goals.
What makes this approach even more worrisome, Walt writes, is not just the reliance on coercion, but the lack of any attempt to justify or legitimize it. Major countries often try to “hide their iron fist in a velvet glove” and provide legal or moral justifications for their actions, but Trump doesn’t believe in that.
Eliminating Institutions and Policies
Walt, referring to the Trump administration’s efforts to systematically eliminate institutions and policies that undermine America’s global appeal, wrote that Trump has relied on undermining international aid programs, trying to shut down foreign media outlets, withdrawing from a large number of international organizations, and reducing America’s diplomatic presence in the world. He believes that Trump’s actions in this area are not only reducing America’s influence, but also damaging its reputation as a reliable and principled power.
According to the report, domestic developments are also contributing to the decline of America’s credibility in this area, with controversial immigration policies, political violence, and attacks on higher education institutions being among the issues that have been used in the context of the fight against the pillars of American soft power.
The author believes that these developments are damaging America’s image abroad, especially in the case of American universities that attract international students, and that the intensification of this trend will lead to the weakening of America’s long-term influence.
Win-lose duality
In examining the intellectual roots of this approach, Walt writes that the Trump administration assesses the world from a dualistic “win-lose” perspective, which reinforces the desire for war and weakens opportunities for cooperation even with traditional allies.
The author noted that the current US administration is inclined to achieve quick, tangible gains that can be used politically and propaganda-wise, rather than investing in long-term relationships. While soft power requires patience and gradual accumulation, hard power brings immediate, albeit short-term, results.
To bolster his argument, Walt contrasts this approach with previous American successes, where initiatives like post-World War II reconstruction and coalition-building demonstrated that combining hard and soft power produced lasting results. In contrast, he notes that failures like Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan revealed the limitations of relying solely on military power.