The Deferential President

On a recent night, President Trump's 747 touched down at Joint Base Andrews, greeted by both American and Chinese soldiers. After a brief pause, the Chinese President Xi Jinping made his way to the aircraft. This act of deference from the Chinese leader indicated that Trump would adopt a more accommodating approach during their upcoming summit.

Despite Trump's past reputation as an international bully, it seemed he had lost significant global influence. His speech at the United Nations General Assembly this week was notably weak, with a focus on Iran's "annihilation" that failed to resonate. Trump's foreign policy had consistently been erratic, marked by threats, bluffs and an obsession with profiting rather than promoting democratic values.

His actions had left the U.S. in retreat from the world stage. Richard Haass, a former senior official and Council on Foreign Relations leader, noted that Trump had accelerated the arrival of a post-American world, reducing U.S. influence by failing to stand up to adversaries or support allies. Recent events, such as Trump's seizure of Venezuela's leader and subsequent war with Iran, highlighted the limitations of his strategies.

The upcoming UN General Assembly address, which was brief and underwhelming, failed to make a significant impact. Trump's meetings with Ukraine and Venezuela leaders were also largely unnoticed. The president attempted to rebrand artificial intelligence as "super intelligence," but the audience remained largely unimpressed. Meanwhile, Trump's meetings with the leaders of Ukraine and Venezuela yielded little attention.

The administration sought to bolster its presence in Greenland, but the agreement offered little change from existing arrangements.