The end of U.S. soft power: a gift to America's rivals | El Universal

U.S. politics has become a bottomless abyss where every day seems to plunge us deeper into uncertainty. Marco Rubio, the one-time Senator and now Secretary of State, seems to have fallen into that abyss and to be suffering from selective amnesia regarding his fervent defense of USAID. Not long ago, in a letter to then-President Biden, Rubio insisted on increasing the agency's budget to "send a clear message that the United States has a comprehensive strategy to counter the growing global influence of the Chinese Communist Party." Today, that same Rubio is complicitly silent as the Trump-Musk administration dismantles the agency he so championed. This shift from anti-China hawk to silent Trumpist accomplice is a microcosm of the radical transformation unfolding in Washington, where principles are melting away faster than an ice cube in the Sahara.

We are living through an unprecedented moment in U.S. and world history. The closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), along with the restructuring or closure of other key federal agencies under Donald Trump, could represent the most significant blow to U.S. global leadership in decades. The creation of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is the latest blow in this crusade against the "deep state." Still, its consequences go far beyond U.S. borders.

In the far distant year of 1961, President John F. Kennedy, using, paradoxically, an executive order, created USAID to counter Soviet influence during the Cold War. USAID has been the humanitarian arm of U.S. foreign policy for decades, operating in more than 130 countries. Its sudden disappearance is like a repeat of the Afghanistan withdrawal but multiplied by 130.

The impact of these actions on U.S. soft power is devastating. The disappearance of USAID, the cuts to environmental research (NOAA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) restructuring undermine America's ability to lead on crucial global issues.

However, the vacuum left by the United States will not remain for long. With its Belt and Road Initiative, China is poised to fill the space. As the U.S. withdraws, Beijing is building infrastructure in Africa and will expand its influence in regions dominated by U.S. aid. For its part, Russia is establishing military bases in underdeveloped areas worldwide.

The consequences of this U.S. withdrawal are worrisome. Without the stabilizing presence of USAID and other agencies, many countries will have no choice but to turn to U.S. adversaries for assistance.

The conclusion is inescapable: Trump's isolationism and the destruction of the U.S. foreign policy apparatus will not only weaken the United States as a world power but will accelerate the global drift away from democratic values. In a world where authoritarianism is gaining ground, America's retreat from its global leadership role can only lead to increased conflict and the strengthening of authoritarian regimes.

Trump and Musk's experiment is not just an attack on government bureaucracy; it is a blow to the heart of American global influence. And as Washington becomes self-absorbed in its war against the "deep state," its global leadership is extinguished, and its influence quietly passes into hands less interested in democracy and freedom. The cost of this historic mistake will be measured not only in dollars but also in human lives and the erosion of democratic values worldwide.

X: @solange_