America’s Superpower Suicide: How Trump Is Dismantling the World Order the U.S. Built

When Allies Were America’s Greatest Weapon

Until very recently, the United States was unquestionably the world’s leading superpower. Not just because of the size of its economy or the reach of its military, but because of something far more difficult to replicate: trust. America’s real advantage was its network of alliances and partnerships, carefully built and nurtured since World War II. China envied it. Russia could never replicate it. No matter how large their armies or economies grew, neither Beijing nor Moscow ever managed to construct anything comparable in Europe or Asia. That web of alliances was America’s superpower.

And now, according to former senior U.S. officials, America is dismantling it—by choice.

Susan Rice put it bluntly: what the United States is doing right now is “committing superpower suicide.” The strength of those alliances rested on shared values and trust, and that trust, she argued, has been broken. Donald Trump has not merely strained alliances; he has methodically undermined and deconstructed them, attacking the very foundations that held them together.

The Hypocrisy of the “Rules-Based Order”

Rick Wilson expanded on that point by pointing to what may be one of the most consequential speeches by a world leader in the last decade: Mark Carney’s address to the global community. Carney argued that the phrase “rules-based world order” should be retired entirely, because it never truly existed in the way it was advertised. The uncomfortable truth, he said, was that superpowers never really followed the rules. Russia didn’t. China didn’t. The system held together because of American power, American dominance, and American values.

Now, with the United States itself abandoning those principles, Carney argued that the old system is effectively dead—and a new one must replace it. In a bitter irony, Donald Trump has exposed the hypocrisy at the heart of the old order not by reforming it, but by becoming its most openly destructive actor.

Carney’s message was clear: countries can no longer rely on the U.S.-led globalized trade system as it once existed. They must diversify, make bilateral deals, and band together independently. His actions followed his words. Canada signed a bilateral trade agreement with China on electric vehicles, a move that directly hurts U.S. interests. The European Union, America’s largest trading partner with nearly a trillion dollars in annual trade, holds enormous leverage—but Trump’s tariffs only end up punishing American consumers. As the Wall Street Journal noted, 96 percent of the cost of those tariffs is paid by Americans themselves.

The transatlantic alliance that kept peace for 80 years, Carney warned, may no longer exist in any meaningful sense.

The Invisible Damage: Intelligence and National Security

Former CIA Director John Brennan explained that the damage extends far beyond headlines and speeches. Intelligence-sharing relationships—among the most sensitive and critical aspects of national security—are built entirely on trust. Brennan described working closely with NATO intelligence services, including Denmark and other European partners. Those relationships were mutually dependent and deeply integrated.

Now, he said, America’s allies see a United States pursuing policies that benefit itself at their expense, with little regard for collective security. That perception erodes trust at the intelligence level, where cooperation saves lives and prevents wars. While Trump will eventually leave the political stage, Brennan warned, the damage to NATO, intelligence-sharing, and global security relationships will be long-lasting and deeply felt across military, diplomatic, and security spheres.

What American Leadership Used to Sound Like

For decades, American presidents—Democrats and Republicans alike—spoke at forums like Davos with a shared understanding of history and responsibility. After World War II, the United States and Europe chose economic and political partnership not merely for prosperity, but for the defense of freedom itself. Through six decades and twelve presidents, transatlantic ties helped defeat fascism, contain imperial communism, and sustain global stability.

That careful, deliberate construction of the liberal international order was the bedrock of the postwar world.

Then came Donald Trump.

Greenland, Iceland, and the Collapse of Seriousness

At Davos, Trump did not rule out using force to seize Greenland—a territory belonging to NATO ally Denmark. The fact that ruling out invading an ally even had to be discussed is itself a collapse of standards. Trump justified his claim by arguing that the United States “saved” Greenland during World War II, confusing liberation with ownership, and allies with possessions.

Worse, he repeatedly confused Greenland with Iceland—four times—blaming Iceland for stock market dips and suggesting it had somehow cost the U.S. money. The speech spiraled into familiar territory: windmills, migrants, election lies, and grievance. California Governor Gavin Newsom later observed that Trump is uniquely graded on a curve. No other president could make such statements without consequence, yet they are increasingly normalized through repetition.

For Americans, none of it was new. For European leaders, it was shocking.

The World Moves On

As The Bulwark put it succinctly, the rest of the world has gotten the message: it may have to go on without American leadership. NATO leaders reportedly pushed back against Trump, signaling that his behavior had consequences. For a moment, he appeared taken aback—perhaps even briefly restrained.

But with Trump, restraint never lasts. Give it hours, days, or weeks, and another outburst inevitably follows.

A Legacy He Can’t Control

For all his recklessness, Trump is deeply obsessed with his legacy. His name on buildings, plaques, ballrooms, and institutions is not just branding—it is insecurity. A lifelong need to be remembered as “the biggest” and “the best” drives him. And increasingly, there are signs he understands the danger of how history may judge him.

There is a growing realization that he may be remembered as the president who single-handedly accelerated the collapse of America’s superpower status—status built gradually from the late 19th century, confirmed in World War II, and solidified after the Cold War.

If he continues alienating NATO and dismantling alliances, that legacy may already be sealed.

The Verdict History Is Writing

America’s power was never just about force. It was about credibility. About alliances. About trust. Those are slow to build and easy to destroy.

And right now, the destruction is happening in real time.