Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019 | 2 a.m.
View more of the Sun's opinion section
With President Donald Trump’s 1,000th day in office approaching this week, it’s a fitting time to assess the status of the United States in key global strategic and economic affairs.
Here’s a rundown:
• Trump’s abandonment of our Kurdish allies opened the door for Turkey’s military attacks last week, leaving the Kurds facing a horrifyingly high risk of a massacre. The chaos triggered by the withdrawal of American troops also helped Vladimir Putin by giving him an opportunity to further embed Russia’s influence across the Middle East. In addition, it benefited Trump, who has business interests in Turkey.
• Trump’s withholding of aid to Ukraine in exchange for dirtying up Biden and promulgating Ukraine corruption images works to Putin’s advantage on multiple fronts. It leaves Ukraine vulnerable militarily, exacerbates political polarization in the U.S. and looms as a potential disruption in the 2020 election.
• Speaking of the 2020 ballot, Trump’s refusal to protect our elections from the Russians — as called for by a bipartisan Senate committee report — is a win for Putin and also works to Trump’s benefit.
• As Trump’s “easy to win” trade war with China drags on, it has forced U.S. taxpayers to spend billions on aid for embattled farmers and will cost consumers at cash registers during the coming holiday season.
• This past week, Trump went back to the table with China in a compromised position, facing impeachment and having given the China leverage by saying it should also investigate Biden. His pandering to the Chinese to help him out of political problems of his own making has rendered him silent on Chinese efforts to undermine democracy in the U.S. and elsewhere. And his fear of the Chinese is such that when they try to silence criticism by American businesses of China, he says nothing.
• North Korea is ramping up its nuclear and missile program, while also turning up the heat of its threatening rhetoric. This past week, the North Koreans denounced a scheduled United Nations Security Council discussion regarding its recent test of a submarine-launched missile, saying it would increase “our desire to defend our sovereignty.” This from a nation that Trump once declared was no longer a threat.
• Iran is enriching nuclear fuel again because Trump tore up an agreement that was working. This is another win for Putin, as Russia and Iran are strategic allies.
• Trump’s irrational dislike of the United States’ NATO allies weakens the trans-Atlantic alliance, much to Putin’s delight.
• Trump’s failure to get Mexico to pay for his border wall means U.S. military personnel and their families will go without new or refurbished facilities at bases across the nation.
• The Taliban are so emboldened they nearly got a meeting at Camp David on the eve of 9/11.
• In his troubling relationship with the Saudi Arabian royal family, Trump turned a blind eye to the findings of U.S. intelligence that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the murder of U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi. Meanwhile, it was reported recently that the White House tried to limit access to Trump’s calls with bin Salman and Putin, the same actions it took with Trump’s July call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
• Trump’s attacks on the media have emboldened autocrats around the world. Even right-lurching democracies like India and Australia are introducing legislation to try to restrict or even outlaw protests.
• Trump’s gutting of the U.S. State Department, which has endured a 16-month-long hiring freeze, has undermined the safety of American diplomats and crippled the organization’s morale.
So what does this all mean?
Russia is more powerful than it’s been in 30 years on the world stage, despite having an economy the size of Italy’s.
China’s influence now exceeds that of the U.S. across huge swaths of the world.
Putin dictates U.S. politics, and China dictates to U.S. businesses.
America is viewed as a feckless ally in Europe and the Middle East.
America’s failure to lead on the global stage means democracy is embattled around the world.
Iran is enriching uranium again, while North Korea is building nuclear weapons and firing missiles.
The Taliban is preparing to return to power in Afghanistan.
Turkey is attacking our allies while we look the other way.
America’s diplomats are being directed by a president who has little knowledge of international relations, seemingly has no interest in learning more and has little vision of America’s role in the world beyond his personal advantage.
Leaders from around the world — enemies and friends — know they can get what they want from this president simply by saying something complimentary about him, and they can own him if they’ll help him manipulate the 2020 elections.
This is what happens when we elect a toddler to office who neither understands the world nor values the principles of democracy.
America is in retreat across the world because of Trump. That’s the opposite of making this country great.
