Like a tough reality show contestant, the U.S. isn’t here to make friends on the global stage.
What happened: Donald Trump signed an executive order placing financial sanctions and visa restrictions on some officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Since then, 79 countries, including Canada, have signed a joint letter decrying the move.
Big picture: The ICC sanctions are the latest measure the U.S. has taken to alienate itself from global allies (and we’re not even factoring in the tariff stuff). In three short weeks, the Trump administration has already disrupted long-standing pillars of the Western liberal order.
- Trump signed an executive order that would see the country exit the World Health Organization next year, leaving the organization without its largest funding source.
- The U.S. also plans to skip this month’s gathering of G20 ministers in South Africa, rejecting the meeting’s agenda focused on equality, sustainability, and solidarity.
Zoom out: Another massive development is the dismantlement of USAID, the government’s main foreign aid agency, which spends US$40 billion annually on a host of humanitarian and development initiatives. As of midnight, nearly all of its staff were put on administrative leave.
Why it matters: Experts fear that by ditching global participation for isolationism, the U.S. will create opportunities for foes of the West, namely China and Russia, to snatch up influence. Meanwhile, pulling aid could hinder global security and potentially stoke extremism.—QH