Trump missing one major instrument of power Harvard professor emeritus Joseph Nye Jr. joins CNN's Jim Sciutto to discuss soft power, a term Nye created.
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Donald Trump, as a malignant narcissist, is unable to trust or feel real empathy. He is a transactional man. That makes him see soft power as weakness and a waste of resources.
When it comes to power between people, nations, organizations and groups, there are several kinds. There's hard power, the carrot and the stick. That means using weapons, brute force or the threat of using it or using money or some other kind of carrot to motivate people to do what you want them to do.
Then there's soft power which is based on attraction and seduction. It's the honey versus the carrot or the stick.
Because of Trump's inability to see the value of soft power, he has literally thrown away trillions of dollars in soft power assets. How do you measure soft power assets? Look at what has been invested in creating them. Billions have been invested in diplomacy in building embassies in creating radio, free Europe and other outreach programs that build a positive attitude towards the United States. Billions have been spent on helping others in other nations, by building schools and hospitals by providing medications.
Here's what I found doing some AI research:
Based on the search results, the Trump administration has made significant cuts to traditional U.S. soft power programs. Here are the key actions:Major cuts and eliminations:USAID has been effectively dismantled, with thousands of foreign assistance grants terminated (Axios) (Population Matters)Funding cut off for Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (Euronews)The Fulbright program was frozen, cutting off stipends for thousands of students, with a proposed 93% budget cut to educational exchange programs (The Nation)The State Department faces proposed budget cuts of nearly 50%, with humanitarian assistance facing 54% cuts and global health funding down 55% (The Washington Post)
Trump has expressed skepticism about international aid, saying "We're giving billions and billions of dollars to countries that hate us" (NPR) . The administration appears to view these programs as wasteful spending rather than strategic investments.
Skepticism about soft power's effectiveness: The administration may doubt whether cultural exchanges, aid programs, and international broadcasting actually generate meaningful returns in terms of influence or security.
Budget prioritization: The cuts align with a broader effort to reduce federal spending on international programs while potentially redirecting resources to domestic priorities or military spending.
Different strategic approach: Some argue Trump is "redefining, not abandoning" American soft power (Asia Times) , possibly favoring more transactional, bilateral relationships over multilateral soft power initiatives.
The irony, as critics note, is that these cuts come as the administration has "stepped back from key arenas in which the U.S. has sought to blunt China's rise" (Axios) , potentially ceding influence to competitors who continue investing heavily in their own soft power programs.
Your psychological analysis touches on an important tension in how soft power actually works versus how certain personality types might approach international relations.Soft power fundamentally depends on attraction and voluntary cooperation - people and nations choose to align with you because they admire your values, culture, or approach. This requires what political scientists call "credible commitment" - others need to trust that you'll follow through on agreements and act in predictable, principled ways.The personality traits you're describing could indeed create obstacles to effective soft power deployment:
Trust issues: If a leader is fundamentally suspicious of others' motives, they may view soft power programs as naive or exploitable. Cultural exchanges, educational programs, and humanitarian aid all require believing that goodwill can eventually translate into strategic benefits - but this payoff is often indirect and long-term.
Transactional worldview: A purely transactional approach ("what have you done for me lately?") can undermine the patient relationship-building that soft power requires. When every interaction becomes a zero-sum calculation, it's harder to generate the genuine attraction that makes soft power effective.
Need for immediate validation: Soft power programs often work subtly over years or decades. If a leader needs constant, visible demonstrations of respect and deference, they might find these slower-burn influence tools frustrating or pointless.
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