We suck as a partner

Is the USA a Good Partner? Not with Trump 2.0 at the Wheel.

Once upon a time, the United States was considered a reliable partner. Sure, we were a little arrogant, occasionally oblivious, and sometimes overstepped our bounds—but we could be counted on for a handshake deal, a treaty we wouldn’t immediately set on fire, and a military alliance that didn’t feel like a hostage negotiation. But that was before Trump 2.0—the sequel no one asked for, with none of the subtlety, sanity, or constitutional respect of even the first disaster run.

Let’s be clear: in 2025, the United States is not a good partner. Not in trade, not in diplomacy, not in climate cooperation, and certainly not in defending democracy. We’re now that guy at the party who shows up late, brings cheap beer, insults everyone’s ethnicity, and then demands to DJ. The world doesn’t trust us—and frankly, why should it?

Foreign Policy by Mood Swing

Under Trump 2.0, our foreign policy is a chaotic mood board made from Fox News segments, late-night Truth Social rants, and whatever Vladimir Putin whispered into Donald’s ego last week. Alliances that took decades to build—NATO, the UN, the G7—are treated like gym memberships: canceled at random, ranted about publicly, then sheepishly rejoined when the grownups in the room panic.

Why would any country want to partner with a nation whose foreign policy depends on whether the president had too many Diet Cokes and didn’t nap?

We pulled out of global climate accords again, abandoned human rights treaties again, and are now dangling foreign aid like mob hush money: “Nice little democracy you got there, be a shame if it didn’t get any tanks.”

Economic Partnership? More Like Economic Hostage-Taking

Trump 2.0 has turned trade deals into extortion plots. Tariffs go up not based on strategy but spite. Trade partners are strong-armed with threats, not negotiations. And the latest move? Tying military aid to whether a country agrees to let American companies strip-mine their resources or defund their environmental protections. Very “America First,” if by that you mean “America First to Screw You Over.”

Under normal leadership, economic partnerships are about mutual growth. Under Trump, they’re about bullying, boasting, and backtracking. It’s like doing business with a casino owner who insists you pay in chips he printed himself, and who sues you if you win.

Human Rights and Democracy? Don’t Make Us Laugh.

In the age of Trump 2.0, the United States doesn’t just ignore human rights abuses—it endorses them. Cozying up to dictators, quoting Orbán like he’s the Dalai Lama, and actively dismantling our own democratic institutions while preaching about freedom abroad? That’s not partnership, that’s hypocrisy with a toupe

We’ve gone from being the global example of checks and balances to a reality show about authoritarian cosplay. Trump calls the press the “enemy of the people,” stacks the courts with loyalists, and openly threatens to jail political opponents—and we still expect other countries to take us seriously when we lecture them on free elections?

Spoiler: they don’t.

Climate? Never Heard of It.

Want to partner on climate change? Good luck. Trump thinks windmills cause cancer and solar panels are some liberal plot to make your grill cook slower. He pulled us out of the Paris Agreement again, gutted the EPA, and restored coal as if this were 1885 and we were powering steamships.

The rest of the world is racing toward green energy. Meanwhile, America’s out here screaming “drill, baby, drill” while Florida submerges and California catches fire. There’s a reason Europe is cutting ties and investing in their own tech and clean infrastructure. No one wants to bet on a country whose energy policy is sponsored by ExxonMobil and climate denial memes.

Conclusion: We’re the Red Flag, Not the Wingman

In short, the United States—under Trump 2.0—is no longer the dependable friend, ally, or partner it once was. We’re the erratic, belligerent ex who shows up drunk to diplomatic dinners and screams about how everyone’s ungrateful. Trust? Gone. Stability? A memory. Cooperation? Only if we get all the credit, none of the responsibility, and maybe a golden statue in the shape of Trump’s head.

So no, the U.S. isn’t a good partner anymore. And until we kick the grifter out of the White House and remember how to act like grownups on the world stage, we should stop expecting the rest of the world to pretend otherwise.

Julie Bolejack, MBA

P.S. Because let’s face it: it’s not them.

It’s us.