IS DONALD Trump becoming a lame duck? As his troubles multiply at home and abroad, the prospect of dealing with a hobbled American president is enough to make foes and friends swoon with relief.
For the hard men who rule China, Iran and other American adversaries, to survive Mr Trump’s various maximum-pressure campaigns would be a propaganda win for the ages—even if those same autocrats never quite shared the Trump-horror that consumes liberal democracies. Deep down, Xi Jinping and his friends believe that all occupants of the White House are selfish, America First bullies, but some hide it better than Mr Trump does.
De redactie van NRC selecteert de beste artikelen uit The Economist voor een breder perspectief op internationale politiek en economie.
For their part, many allies and partners would like to see Mr Trump limp to the end of his presidency. That does not mean that leaders in Berlin, Riyadh or Tokyo are rooting for Mr Trump to lose his war in Iran, or for him to admit defeat in his trade confrontation with China. The enfeebling of America would frighten allies in Europe, Asia or the Middle East, who are years away, at best, from being able to defend themselves without their longtime great-power protector. But a fuming, friendless Mr Trump, so weakened by his own blunders and by plunging approval ratings that he retreats to the gilded fastness of his White House, there to tinker with plans for his ballroom and memorial arch? That is a vision that many governments would cheer. They would be especially relieved if a Republican wipeout in November’s midterms loosened Mr Trump’s iron grip on his own party in Congress, and imposes some constraints on his monarchical rule.
