The Trump Doctrine: Breaking Trust at Home and Abroad

How Betrayal and Chaos Are Redefining America’s Role in the World

(Quick note: I just want to acknowledge the inspirational filibuster by Cory Booker. Wow!)

The issue that comes to mind as I reflect on the world Donald Trump seeks to create is broken trust. When I consider the man himself, I recall that he first gained fame—and much of his fortune—through the betrayal of his business partners and a series of massive bankruptcies.

Long before he became a reality TV host, Trump was a real estate developer who expanded into hotels, casinos, and even the airline industry. Along the way, he cheated contractors, shortchanged investors, and, through strategic bankruptcies, left financiers with pennies on the dollar. With a mix of financial brinkmanship and clever lawyering, he managed not only to stay afloat but to thrive.

Now, Trump is applying the same pattern of broken promises to international trade, military alliances, and domestic affairs—throwing long-standing partnerships into chaos and eroding trust. Around the world, leaders are concluding that the once-reliable United States can no longer be counted on.

As The New York Times reported this week, military allies who helped develop the next-generation F-35 fighter jet have heard Trump suggest they may no longer be allowed to buy it—so they are looking elsewhere for aircraft.

Brazil is forging a massive new trade deal with Beijing, opting to pay in Chinese yuan rather than the customary U.S. dollar.

Canada is collaborating with Australia on the development of new military technology and may join Europe’s efforts to expand its defenses without American involvement.

In Europe, several nations are now considering nuclear weapons programs, fearing that the security guarantees once upheld by the United States may soon be meaningless. Why? Because Trump himself has suggested that long-standing allies may no longer be treated as such.

Meanwhile, as Trump threatens sweeping embargoes, key trading partners are turning to alternative markets like India and South America, seeking to replace long-established economic ties with the U.S.

Then there is Trump’s betrayal of Ukraine. Having relied on U.S. support for survival against Russia’s invasion, Kyiv now faces cutbacks in American intelligence assistance as Trump cozies up to Vladimir Putin.

Let’s be clear: in nearly every case where Trump plays the bully, he is violating formal agreements—including at least one, the free trade deal with Mexico and Canada, that he himself signed during his first presidency. The message to the world is clear: America cannot be trusted to keep its word. Foreign leaders are taking note, weighing the consequences for their own nations, and adjusting their policies to minimize the damage.

At home, Trump and his newly created fake Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are threatening the fundamental contract that sustains seniors through Social Security. The program’s pension payments have kept millions out of poverty since 1935. While it faces fiscal challenges, these can be addressed through reasonable adjustments—there is no legitimate reason to talk about dismantling the system.

Trump is also betraying his own supporters. Those who expected him to reduce inflation now see him breaking that promise, as his tariffs are poised to drive up prices. Likewise, his pledge to spur job growth has fallen flat, with employment trends weakening. Across the country, federal contracts are being voided or rewritten under DOGE, sowing further economic uncertainty.

More broadly, Americans are realizing that the basic compact between the government and its citizens may no longer hold. Instead of a functional government delivering essential services, they are left with gutted agencies, unable to fulfill their missions due to job cuts and mismanagement.

By trampling agreements with global partners and betraying people at home, Trump is systematically dismantling trust—the foundation of all relationships. This isn’t accidental; it is by design. His operating style has always been rooted in unpredictability and untrustworthiness. But as president, his actions don’t just tarnish his own reputation; they erode America’s standing as a nation that keeps its word.

And trust, once broken, takes generations to rebuild.