Good morning and welcome back to today’s edition of The Wolf’s Den. It’s Monday, May 11th, and today we need to look abroad, because the Trump administration is facing a serious test on the world stage — and once again, Donald Trump appears to be weakening America’s leverage instead of strengthening it.
Last night, Trump reportedly received Iran’s response to the latest U.S. proposal surrounding ceasefire continuation negotiations and a possible end to the U.S.-Iran conflict. He was reportedly not satisfied with Iran’s offer, but the larger problem is that the nuclear issue — the central issue the Trump administration is trying to resolve — has become far more difficult than they expected.
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At first, Trump was not only trying to secure an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program. His administration also wanted to restrict Iran’s ballistic missile production and curb its funding for terror networks across the Middle East, including groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. But as these negotiations have dragged on, the administration appears to have punted on some of those broader issues because Iran is now negotiating from a stronger position than before.
That is the key point. Iran withstood the early blows from Operation Epic Fury, moved to close the Strait of Hormuz, and now seems to believe it has more leverage than it had earlier this year. That tells us something important: Donald Trump’s strategy has not intimidated the Iranian regime. It has emboldened it.
Instead of weakening Iran, Trump has weakened America’s hand.
And this comes at an even more dangerous moment because later this week, Trump is expected to travel to China. China is America’s number one competitor and adversary on the world stage. It is an economic rival, a growing military threat in Asia, and an increasingly aggressive force toward Taiwan and other American allies.
But throughout Trump’s first year and a half back in office, his administration has acted as if it is intent on losing the long-term competition with China.
Trump has placed tariffs on allies instead of focusing pressure on adversaries. He has alienated NATO, the European Union, and other critical partners around the world. He has threatened allies, floated reckless ideas about Greenland, and repeatedly undermined the relationships that give the United States its power.
The result is simple: Trump is pushing other countries to look elsewhere. And increasingly, that means looking to China.
For those of us who care about democracy, freedom, and opportunity, a China-led world order would be a disaster. Yet Trump’s foreign policy keeps moving the world in that direction. He has weakened the dollar, weakened our alliances, and strengthened our adversaries.
China is watching. Russia is watching. Iran is watching. And unlike in past moments, China appears ready to capitalize on America’s mistakes.
That is the story to watch this week: not just what Trump says during his China visit, but what he has already given away through weakness, chaos, and a foreign policy that continues to leave America with less leverage than before.
-Ethan
