America’s closest allies see 'no point' in negotiating with Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 3, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

During his second presidency, Donald Trump's foreign and economic policies have been a frequent source of frustration not only for Democrats and Never Trump conservatives, but also, for leaders of democratic countries that have long enjoyed a close relationship with the United States — from Canada to the European Union (EU). And according to journalist Matt Gurney in the conservative website The Bulwark, many democratic leaders see no "real value" in negotiating with Trump.

"As Donald Trump lurches from one erratic foreign policy decision to another," Gurney explains in his Bulwark article, "America's traditional allies and partners wonder if the United States possesses anything resembling a coherent strategy for its dealings with other countries. While Americans wrestle with Trump's impulsive decision-making at home, democratic leaders around the world are attempting to guess what Trump and Trumpism mean for the U.S.-led international order. And they are starting to plan for a world without it. From here out, any U.S. ally or partner has a strong interest in trying to get as little done with the United States as possible until Trump is gone — or, at the very least, constrained by a Democratic Congress."

Gurney adds, "That might take a while. America First risks becoming America Alone."

The journalist laments that for Canadian and European leaders, "faith in American motives and consistency is impossible" during Trump's second presidency.

Gurney warns, "We're way beyond the art of the deal here…. Trump is incentivizing his would-be partners to avoid making deals with him at all, and, to the greatest extent possible, reduce their reliance on the United States and, with it, American influence…. European leaders are increasingly blunt in their own public comments to and about Trump, whose wrath is so hard to avoid it can no longer really be feared. Canada, Europe, and allies across Asia may be tiptoeing around Trump at the moment, but they are also rapidly seeking out new trading partnerships."

Trump, according to Gurney, "has turned the act of bargaining with the United States itself into something no western leader can casually risk."

"Give Trump a cheap win he can tweet about, one that doesn't cost you and your country too much — but don’t actually invest any effort in trying to accomplish something real or substantive," Gurney writes in his Bulwark article. "There's no point. The midterms are only six months away, and it's possible that a Democratic Congress will impose some sanity on this cracked administration. But even that is an awfully big assumption."

Gurney continues, "No U.S. partner or ally can take for granted that big Democratic gains in November will be of much help…. Until and unless Trump is no longer president, few democratic leaders will see any real value in negotiating with him."

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