The Path to American Irrelevance
America’s standing in the world is earned, not promised. Alienating India shows how fast it can be lost.
Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi, and Xi Jinping. Not pictured: American strength. Suo Takekuma/Pool Photo via AP
A photo contest: Which images from the past few months best capture the end of the American era?
Andrew Leyden/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom
How about this one? Past American presidents have used sanctions against adversaries, typically assembling a coalition of allies to restrict trade and inflict economic hardship on the targeted nation. On “Liberation Day,” the President drafted the world into a coalition imposing sanctions… on the United States.
Bonnie Cash - Pool via CNP/CNP / Polaris/Newscom
Then there’s this one, of the CEO of one of America’s largest corporations presenting a trophy to the President in the Oval Office in a bid to flatter the President and secure favorable treatment. There’s an iconic photo of Steve Jobs holding up the first iPhone. It’s a powerful statement about the American economy today that this is the Apple product Tim Cook held up for the cameras.
Eric Lee for The New York Times
Or this one, of the American military deployed in our capital, for no purpose other than theater and intimidation. That was a blow not only to the city and the rule of law, but to the mission of the armed forces and the dignity of Americans in uniform.
Alongside those, I’d nominate the one at the top, of Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, warmly greeting Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.
The backstory is that in May, the President claimed credit for resolving a conflict between India and Pakistan, and reportedly pressed Modi to support his bid for a Nobel Peace Prize; Modi doesn’t believe the President had anything to do with it. Then, in August, the President imposed a 50% tariff on India—a 25% base rate, and an additional punitive 25% for buying Russian oil.
That antagonism and humiliation have undone years of work both the United States and India have done to build a relationship, spanning Democrats and Republicans on the American side. The moment captured in the photo, at a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in China, was a message to the world that India has options.
Commentators have correctly pointed out the economic and strategic importance of our relationship with India, and the blunder of treating an important partner so callously.
But the stakes for the United States are greater than that. America enjoys a position as the world’s preeminent nation, built over eighty years of trade, diplomacy, cultural influence, espionage, aid, and force. That position brings enormous benefits to our economy and to our security. American companies get access to markets. America’s military and intelligence services enjoy cooperation with counterparts around the world. We can rally allies to our side, and we can dictate terms to adversaries. It’s hard to see, but those advantages benefit ordinary Americans, in everything from the prices we pay at the supermarket to our sense of safety from foreign attacks. We do not want to lose them.
Most Americans are not old enough to remember a time before we enjoyed this position, or how we built it. We take it for granted, but it is not promised. It must be continually earned. Other nations have lost it, and we can too. The moments captured above are steps in that direction: each time we show the world we can’t be trusted, we move closer to American irrelevance.
I want America to lead in this century, and to continue to enjoy a position of global preeminence—not for the sake of power itself, but for what it allows us to do for the American people and people everywhere. I’ve been talking about renewing the American dream, building the future, and fighting for freedom at home and abroad, all of which will be difficult to accomplish if our global position wanes. If we want to make progress, we should be cultivating our relationships with strong democratic allies, and doing whatever we can to bring more of the world into that category.
That’s why our relationship with India is so important. India is the largest nation and largest democracy in the world, with a huge and growing economy. It is a major partner in trade and innovation for the United States, and the source of many of the scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs who drive the American economy. It is a dominant regional player and a model for developing nations around the world, many of whom are watching how we engage and taking notes. It’s hard to imagine sustained and growing global influence for the United States without a deeper relationship with India. It’s even harder to imagine if India’s alignment shifts to our adversaries, and if other nations around the world follow suit.
This story is about the President’s humiliation of an important nation, but I am less worried for them than I am for us. India is ambitious. It will continue to grow, and it will work with the partners that help it reach its goals. But if the world learns that this is how America treats even a nation as important as India, we will watch the sun set on the American era.
Which comes back to the core argument I’ve been repeating throughout this campaign: Democrats can’t be the party of resistance. We have to win. There is little we can do in Congress to prevent this administration from damaging critical international relationships and squandering a global position that took generations to build, so we need to use the election in 2026 to become a party that can win decisively in 2028. That’s the only way to undo this damage, rebuild trust, and extend America’s leadership into the future.
