Opinion Piece: A Trump-Inflicted American Decline: USAID Was the Lever Connecting America to International Influence
Why the rest of the world has a stake in America’s future—and how Trump weakened the very system that made the U.S. mighty.
I haven’t posted in a while. I’ve been focused on another editorial endeavor—one that’s less serious, not as heated or emotional.
Before I continue with this opinion piece (a departure from the usual fact-packed information bombs published here that hop from point to point like ADHD me at age 10), I want to thank everyone who has subscribed to Dented Armour. We’re nearing 100.
I also want to take a moment to recap—maybe mostly for myself—our mission: to ask the awkward questions, say what others won’t, and point out the proverbial emperor when he hides his shame behind popularity.
Once again, welcome and thank you for reading Dented Armour.
Why I Write About American Politics
I’ve become increasingly passionate about American politics—especially since Trump caught my attention.
Like a reality TV show, America’s global audience ballooned on January 6, 2021, as if four years of asinine statements and controversial policies hadn’t already drawn enough attention. That was when I really tuned in.
Because I’m introspective and prone to overthinking, I’ve often asked myself: Why should I care? As a non-American, is it really my business?
For a long time, that question was enough to keep me silent—especially after a Canadian echoed it on a public forum in 2024.
But the answer has since come to me.
Sure, I could say it was Trump’s interference with South Africa—the “white genocide” narrative, for instance.
Americans forget that not every country is used to their eat-the-dogs, eat-the-cats type of discourse being taken as truth. For us, it was shocking.
And while that rhetoric was alarming, it still didn’t justify me having a say.
What this realization was: the United States is a superpower. When something big happens under the Stars and Stripes, the effects ripple across the world.
When America Sneezes, the World Catches a Cold
We don’t have to go far back to prove the point. Start with the 2008 housing crisis and the resulting recession, and end with Trump’s reelection attempt.
Eventually, it hit me: when Americans cast their ballots, they don’t just vote for themselves. They vote for the rest of us too.
Tell me I’m lying.
Trump, NATO, and America’s Long Game
And no—it’s not about the rest of the world “suckling at Uncle Sam’s teat,” as Trump likes to think. That’s a shallow interpretation, one that misses the bigger picture.
All those supposedly philanthropic levers—USAID, NATO contributions, even state-sponsored media—serve long-game strategies.
America’s influence comes from decades of carefully constructed partnerships. That’s why, when it sanctions, bans, or boycotts, the results are often swift and far-reaching.
These handouts weren’t purely altruistic, but they were intelligent. Now, Trump has pulled many of them back, unwittingly forcing independence.
A few years ago, leaked Iranian intelligence files showed that a Quds Force official admired USAID—not out of fondness, but because they understood its strategic value. They saw it clearly: influence disguised as aid.
Trump Didn’t End the Decline—He Sparked It
Trump weakened that machine. The damage won’t show immediately, but it will. Despite the loud declarations—“American decline is over!”—it hasn’t ended. It’s just beginning. And Trump started it.
The Most Benevolent Superpower—But Only by Default
For all its blunders, overreaches, and hypocrisies, the U.S. has—on balance—been less brutal than many powers that came before it.
If the alternative were Russia, China, or even certain European powers today, we’d likely be dealing with something much more coercive, much less interested in image, consent, or diplomacy.
We would have been ingesting a steady diet of jackboot diplomacy.
Let’s be clear:
That doesn’t mean America’s reach is clean. But its power has often been wrapped in influence campaigns, partnerships, and PR rather than tanks alone.
History could have dealt us worse cards.