soft power – Misryoum examines how a hard-power approach and cuts to public diplomacy could erode America’s global appeal.
America’s influence has never rested on military might alone, but the Trump team’s governing instincts are increasingly built around the idea that force and pressure can substitute for persuasion.
That framing sits uneasily with the concept of soft power. often described as the ability to draw others in rather than push them.. Misryoum notes that the argument is not that hard power is irrelevant. but that a nation with real attraction tends to get more cooperation with fewer coercive moves.. Over time. the balance matters because global relationships are not only negotiated at summit tables; they are shaped by institutions. messaging. and how other societies experience the United States.
In Misryoum’s view. the Trump 2.0 approach reflected in current policy directions leans heavily toward coercion and deterrence. while showing less patience for the slower work of building trust.. The administration’s reliance on measures such as tariffs as leverage. repeated use of military force in multiple theaters. and a more confrontational posture toward rivals and adversaries reflect a belief that pressure is the quickest route to outcomes.. The pattern also includes efforts to limit or reshape programs and platforms that have historically supported U.S.. outreach abroad.
The deeper significance is that attraction is cumulative, while coercion can be costly. When public institutions, international engagement, and long-term cultural ties weaken, the United States may find itself needing stronger actions to achieve what persuasion once helped deliver.
Misryoum points to a parallel set of domestic and foreign-policy moves that. taken together. may reduce America’s standing beyond government-to-government bargaining.. Efforts associated with dismantling or restricting certain development and broadcasting functions. attempts to shrink diplomatic presence in multilateral settings. and hostility toward popular symbols of U.S.. prestige have the practical effect of changing what foreign audiences see and experience.. The message sent is not only about policy differences, but about how predictable and lawful American behavior appears to outsiders.
Misryoum also highlights the political logic behind the style: a worldview that separates the world into winners and losers tends to reward boldness and punish compromise. even when compromise is part of how alliances endure.. In that framework. international norms can be treated as obstacles rather than guardrails. and foreign partners can be approached more as targets than as stakeholders.. The consequence is a foreign-policy posture that may look decisive in Washington while reading as arbitrary from abroad.
At the same time. Misryoum argues that the administration’s emphasis on quick. headline-driven results can clash with how influence is built.. Relationships with publics. future leaders. and partner governments often develop through patience: cultural exchange. educational ties. stable diplomatic engagement. and consistent messaging.. Without that long-view investment. the United States risks reducing its leverage to what it can threaten. rather than what it can inspire.
America still retains many reservoirs of credibility and admiration. Misryoum notes. and foreign societies can separate the country’s underlying strengths from the choices of its most controversial leaders.. But if U.S.. political life grows more volatile and its outreach capacity continues to atrophy. keeping the benefits of hard power from undermining hard-earned goodwill may become increasingly difficult.. In that sense, the contest over “soft power” is not theoretical.. It is about whether America can keep being understood as a partner worth listening to. not just a force worth fearing.
In the end, Misryoum’s takeaway is simple: influence works best when it is earned both through strength and through consistency. Overreliance on coercion may produce short-term compliance, but it can hollow out the very conditions that make long-term cooperation possible.