Monday, April 06, 2026

'Our Reputation may Never Recover'

Richard Stengel: Trump's venal persona and his war on Iran will do untold damage to America's ability to make a positive difference in the world

Posted by retort at 04:46 PM | 27 COMMENTS | permalink

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I was the US soft power czar. Our popularity may never recover | Richard Stengel

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-- The Guardian (@theguardian.com) Apr 5, 2026 at 11:09 AM

Comments

It will take thirty-years of hard work to make up for what Trump squandered in a little more than a year.

And, you know, it can still get a lot worse. Trump can make it worse, because he is a megalomaniac bastid who will burn it all down rather than admit he made a mistake. Because he's a toad of a man who sincerely thinks himself a god.

#1 | Posted by Zed at 2026-04-06 05:19 PM

I'm not letting MAGA off the hook. A movement of backwoods ignorance and self-absorption, it still cheers the destruction of anything that makes them feel inferior or jealous. This includes the 75% of the rest of America who is not them.

#2 | Posted by Zed at 2026-04-06 05:22 PM

'Our Reputation may Never Recover'

This is what I voted for.
--Boaz

#3 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-04-06 05:22 PM

Very sad ... and needless.

Trump's ego is a hydrogen bomb.

#4 | Posted by AMERICANUNITY at 2026-04-06 05:29 PM

"Making the 'Ugly American' Great Again!"

MUAGA!

#5 | Posted by Corky at 2026-04-06 05:37 PM

Trump and many, many of his crime dog sycophant toadies behind bars, in orange jumpsuits, would go a long, long way toward regaining this country's stature as a place where the rule of law applies to EVERY person would help with that reputation thingy. To this point Trump has defecated on the flags of many of our friends, and has done the same--perhaps more than once--to the Stars and Stripes...

#6 | Posted by catdog at 2026-04-06 05:39 PM

'Our Reputation may Never Recover'

Why should it?

We elected the pedo in 2016. And then doubled down a few years later, after seeing that the adjudicated rapist, 34-time convicted felon, insurrectionist, child-Epsteiner was exactly as bad as everyone warned.

Jill Stein 2028! (What's the worst that could happen?)

#7 | Posted by censored at 2026-04-06 05:42 PM

After Dummkopf Trumpf is gone on 21 Jan 2029, the institutions, mega-oligarchs, ICE/DHS, GOP dinosaur Senators, perfidious corporations, SCOTUS, AIPAC, the NRA, ad nauseum will all still be here.

Then account for all the damage done, lives lost, bridges burnt, and zillions siphoned away by the mega-oligarchs during Trumpf 2.0.

One wonders if Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin will still be cravenly holding on to power on 21 Jan 2029?

#8 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-04-06 05:44 PM

They will. Trump might be too. He's angling for a third term.

The SCOTUS will probably allow it, Somehow.

Trump is God, just ask him.

Americans are not exceptional, just exceptionally Stupid.

Totalitarian is the New American Way.

#9 | Posted by Effeteposer at 2026-04-06 05:59 PM

---- off Russian cockwhore.

#10 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-04-06 06:29 PM

... 'Our Reputation may Never Recover' ...

Trust is broken in hours, but takes years to repair.

#11 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-04-06 06:46 PM

#10 ? I have no idea what you Mean.

#12 | Posted by Effeteposer at 2026-04-06 06:52 PM


Trust is broken in hours, but takes years to repair.
#11 | Posted by LampLighter

The rest of the world saw the trust decline as the executive branch switched from party to party since Vietnam; each switch brought different behavior, with different goals and objectives.

Its was just a matter of time for the American system to expose it as the Helter Skelter way of being. Imagine thinking the rest of the world doesn't participate in US elections or care enough to do nothing, so naive.

The funny thing is, you seem to think this is the first President to break the trust.

#13 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-04-06 06:53 PM

Americans are not exceptional, just exceptionally Stupid.

Reading history these days with fascination, their system was great, but it's been broken since the 60-70ss; they are living off the momentum of Nixons monetary policies ever since.

#14 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-04-06 06:55 PM

@#1 ... It will take thirty-years of hard work to make up for what Trump squandered in a little more than a year. ...

Is it no wonder why our [pre-Trump] allies did not want to participate in Pres Trump's war against Iran?

Perhaps they did not want to be a part of the possible war crimes Pres Trump says he may be committing?


#15 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-04-06 06:59 PM

their (America's) system was great

#14 | POSTED BY ONEIRONAUT

Say you don't live here without saying you don't live here.

#16 | Posted by Zed at 2026-04-06 06:59 PM

- The funny thing is, you seem to think this is the first President to break the trust.

Hilarious thing is that you seem to 'think' that this isn't the Worst President in American history... he was that after his first term, now he's set a bar that no Pres will likely ever pass.

#17 | Posted by Corky at 2026-04-06 07:26 PM

Trust is broken in hours, but takes years to repair.
#11 | Posted by LampLighter

Republicans have no intent of repairing anything.
Trust is broken in hours, and the trauma will endure for generations.

#18 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-04-06 07:36 PM

#14 | Posted by oneironaut

"You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing, after they have exhausted all the other possibilities."
Winston Churchill

#19 | Posted by morris at 2026-04-06 10:04 PM

There are few people in public view in America who have a reasonable of restoring the soft power credibility that USA had before Trump. The country's success in aligning most of the world toward Its ideals and values in the wake of WW2 was an incredible accomplishment. Perhaps on par with Rome's Pax Romana that lasted for 100s of years.

But Trump broke that era of goodwill, trust and international collaboration. America becomes more like Putin's post-Soviet Russia than like a NATO leader & so-called "leader of the free world".

We're screwed.

#20 | Posted by Augustine at 2026-04-07 07:37 AM

It's easy to blame Trump as if he's the totality of the problem.

He's not.

His election has made the American people untrustworthy, fickle and stupid.

#21 | Posted by jpw at 2026-04-07 07:19 PM

It's easy to blame Trump as if he's the totality of the problem. He's not.
His election has made the American people [occurred because the American people are] untrustworthy, fickle and stupid.
#21 | Posted by jpw

Fixed.

Jill Stein 2028!

#22 | Posted by censored at 2026-04-08 07:51 AM

"Jill Stein 2028!"

This tired joke is no longer funny.

Or relevant.

#23 | Posted by Angrydad at 2026-04-08 07:54 AM

"Say you don't live here without saying you don't live here."

It doesn't matter where this clown is posting from.

It is here for one reason: to yank chains and get reactions.

Do not oblige.

#24 | Posted by Angrydad at 2026-04-08 07:58 AM

"Jill Stein 2028!"

This tired joke is no longer funny.
Or relevant.
#23 | Posted by Angrydad

Not relevant? It's our future!

Ralph Nader 2000! showed the progs have no grasp on the dynamics and reality of our two party system as they handed the White House to the GOP for 8 years. And then the progs went for a three-peat in 2016/2024.

Sure, the GOP may get its butt handed to them in the 2028 elections, but past is prologue and soft-brained progressives will be back in an election cycle or two to open the White House door for the GOP again (with the gentle encouragement of foreign influence campaigns making them think that some irrelevant-to-their-existence issue they disagree with Dems about should be ample reason for accomplishing that result).

And if you don't think the most-liberal-of-liberal voters helping elect the likes of Trump who attacks pretty much everything they care about isn't hilarious, I think that's on you.

#25 | Posted by censored at 2026-04-08 08:14 AM

Jill Stein 2028!"
This tired joke is no longer funny.
Or relevant.

#23 | Posted by Angrydad at 2026-04-08 07:54 AM | Reply

THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#26 | Posted by LauraMohr at 2026-04-08 09:32 AM

THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#26 | Posted by LauraMohr

You thought that voting for Jill Stein was a good idea. And then you voted third party. Even though the claims you make here might suggest that you need a Dem in office more than most.

So your judgment might be a little off. Or maybe you're just a Republican but don't want to admit it.

#27 | Posted by censored at 2026-04-08 10:41 AM

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