With President Donald Trump’s tariff wars sending shockwaves through the world economy, a new Atlantic column written by historian Phillips Payson O'Brien surmised that the president “doesn’t care about its allies and trading partners.”
The column noted the countries who rely on the United States for security had faced some “harsh” tariffs, violating the economic health of allies.
“Trump is showing that he is willing to violate long-standing norms and strike at the core of other countries’ prosperity—and that nothing in the American system will stop a president hell-bent on punishing his own country’s allies for the sake of domestic politics,” Phillips Payson O’Brien penned.
He surmised the move won't just drive away allies but also, “push them toward closer economic relations with the world’s other superpower,” China.
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“Trump fundamentally misunderstands the sources of American power in the world,” Payson O’Brien opined.
Three countries of high importance for the United States in the Pacific region are Japan, South Korea, and Thailand. Yet, they all faced 24% tariffs or higher.
Furthermore, Trump is now “treating [U.S.] allies and potential allies in the western Pacific region more as economic threats than as strategic partners.”
The author's concern grows further than the Pacific Islands. “If the U.S. is willing to wage economic warfare against its friends and allies, can it really be trusted to fight for them?”
He concluded, “In Trump’s world of red hats and waving flags, offending faraway allies in Asia might not seem so important. But other countries have decisions to make. And without a reliable United States to collaborate with, reaching an accommodation with China will start to look not just appealing but inevitable.”