Washington, D.C. — A new analysis from the Center for American Progress finds that President Donald Trump’s rejection of international cooperation is isolating the United States, undermining its long-term security, and eroding its ability to shape a world that benefits American families, workers, and businesses.
As world leaders prepare to gather for the G20 summit in South Africa later this month—without Trump in attendance—this analysis warns that the administration’s attacks on multilateral organizations such as the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and NATO have left the United States weaker and less secure.
“Destroying multilateralism does not make the United States stronger or give it a freer hand internationally; it makes us weaker,” said Ryan Mulholland, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and co-author of the analysis. “Multilateralism is not an end in itself; it is a means to an end, a way of addressing cross-border challenges in a manner that serves U.S. interests and delivers lasting results.”
The analysis identifies several ways the Trump administration’s hostility toward multilateralism has damaged U.S. interests:
- Undermining international stability and security: Trump’s withdrawals from the Paris Agreement, UNESCO, and the U.N. Human Rights Council, as well as cuts to the World Health Organization, World Food Program, and International Labour Organization, have eroded global mechanisms for peace, security, and accountability.
- Weakening alliances and empowering adversaries: Treating NATO as transactional and skipping major forums such as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Conference of the Parties (COP) climate summit has allowed China and other rivals to fill the leadership vacuum left by the United States.
- Raising costs for American consumers and manufacturers: Sky-high tariffs and nationalist trade policies have driven up prices, alienated allies, and harmed U.S. exporters.
The authors argue that global challenges such as climate change, pandemics, and migration cannot be solved by any one nation acting alone. Only by renewing and reforming international institutions—not dismantling them—can the United States ensure security, prosperity, and democratic values.
Read the analysis: “Trump’s Attacks on Multilateralism Make America Weaker, Not Stronger” by Ryan Mulholland and Damian Murphy
For more information or to speak with an expert, contact Christian Unkenholz at [email protected].