"AMERICA'S LEADERSHIP? MIA UNDER POTUS"

...the world no longer views America as the global superpower it once was. The decline isn’t just happening; it’s already happened.

Michael Cohen Mar 16

There was a time when the President of the United States was the de facto leader of the free world. When American leadership wasn’t just expected; it was demanded. The world turned to the White House for strength, guidance, and the moral authority to shape global events. But now? That role has apparently been handed off to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, who just delivered a speech that should have come from the Oval Office.

In a recent televised address, Starmer declared with absolute conviction that Ukraine shall continue to exist. He called upon all allies to ramp up pressure on Russia to negotiate an end to the war. A bold, clear, unequivocal message. The kind of statement that, in a saner world, should have been issued by the American president. But instead, we get silence; or worse, some half-baked, incoherent rambling from President Trump about how he alone could end the war in 24 hours if he just got a chance to have a nice little chat with Putin. Because that’s what diplomacy looks like to Trump: backroom deals with autocrats, maybe sealed with a greasy handshake over a Big Mac and fries.

Now, let’s get real. Donald Trump has never met a camera he didn’t love, a stage he didn’t crave, or a spotlight he wasn’t willing to push someone else out of the way for. This is a man who built his entire life around screaming look at me!—whether it was on reality TV, at his ego-stroking rallies, or standing in front of a golden elevator. So why, in a moment when the world actually needs a strong, decisive leader, has Trump willingly stepped aside and let someone else take center stage? Why has a British prime minister taken on the role that traditionally belongs to the President of the United States?

It’s because the world no longer views America as the global superpower it once was. The decline isn’t just happening; it’s already happened. And Trump, for all his bluster and bravado, isn’t interested in changing that. Why? Because being the leader of the free world means making tough decisions, taking moral stances, and standing up to dictators instead of cozying up to them. Trump doesn’t want to be the guy who pressures Putin to back down. He wants to be Putin. He admires strongmen. He worships their unchecked power. He’s spent his entire political career bending over backwards to prove that he’s one of them, not one of us.

Think about it. Why would Trump advocate for Ukraine when he’s made it crystal clear that he couldn’t care less if Putin steamrolls through Eastern Europe? Why would he rally global allies to take action when he’s spent years systematically dismantling those very alliances? NATO, the G7, the European Union; he’s insulted them, undermined them, and treated them like inconvenient roadblocks to his authoritarian fantasies. Trump’s vision of America isn’t about leading the world. It’s about isolating ourselves, cutting off our allies, and playing footsie with despots who don’t give a shit about democracy.

And that’s why Starmer’s speech is so telling. It’s not just about Ukraine. It’s about the vacuum of leadership America has left behind. It’s about the way the world now views the United States; not as a superpower to be respected, but as a cautionary tale about what happens when a once-great democracy lets a wannabe dictator take over. It’s about the fact that global leaders no longer expect decisive action from Washington. They don’t look to the White House for guidance anymore because they know Trump won’t provide it. If anything, they fear what his next move will be; will he pull support for Ukraine entirely? Will he embolden Putin even further? Will he sell out America’s allies for the right price?

So now, it’s up to the UK. And Germany. And France. And Canada. It’s up to leaders who still recognize the importance of standing against tyranny. Because under Trump, America isn’t leading anymore; we are barely even showing up. And the world has taken notice.

So, the next time Trump steps onto a stage and rants about how he’s going to make America great again, remember this: Greatness isn’t found in cowardice. It isn’t found in groveling to dictators. And it sure as hell isn’t found in relinquishing the leadership of the free world to a British prime minister because the President of the United States is too busy plotting his next self-serving venture or heading to the golf course.

The world is watching. And it doesn’t like what it sees.

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