We’ve Forgotten What ‘Soft Power’ Is

Internationalists are mourning the loss of soft power. Do they even know what that means anymore?

Dewy sits at a desk, before a sign that reads: "CRUSADE FOR FREEDOM: SEND A MESSAGE BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN." Behind him is also a map of the Eastern Bloc with an image of the Statue of Liberty. October 28, 2025, 3:11 PM Comment icon View Comments ( )

Trump’s Second Term

Ongoing reports and analysis

Since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to office in January, there has been no shortage of liberal internationalists mourning the downfall of U.S. soft power. Trump’s moves to pull back from the United Nations, ravage foreign aid, and mute the Voice of America have dismantled the government’s soft power tool set, while his often derisive and s

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