Senate Democrats are warning that President Donald Trump’s sweeping foreign policy decisions, from aid reductions to tariffs and student visa restrictions, are steadily eroding America’s global influence and giving China an open lane to expand its dominance.
In a report released Monday by Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, lawmakers argue that Trump’s inward-facing policies have “deeply” compromised the U.S.’s long-standing role as a global leader. The report urges Congress to take swift action to rebuild diplomatic credibility and counter China’s growing reach.
“America’s retreat from the world will have real and lasting consequences for the American people,” the report cautions. “And a retreat from the system that we helped build following the Second World War — based on democracy, economic interdependence and American values — means China is increasingly able to set the global agenda at the expense of U.S. interests.”
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The assessment arrives roughly six months into Trump’s return to the White House, a period marked by a wave of controversial moves the administration argues are aimed at safeguarding American prosperity and sovereignty. These include steep foreign aid cuts, trade barriers with allies, and a clampdown on international academic engagement.
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White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly defended the administration’s approach, insisting Trump’s strategy is delivering tangible benefits.
“His strategy is paying off, as evidenced by the recent trade deal that created a path towards open market access for Americans and China’s actions to control the spread of deadly fentanyl,” Kelly said, adding that Trump’s strength lies in his readiness “to look anyone in the eye to get better deals for the American people.”
But the Senate Democrats’ report paints a far bleaker picture, claiming Trump’s foreign aid rollbacks have crippled key institutions such as the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Agency for Global Media, two major levers of American soft power. The weakening of these agencies, they argue, has left a vacuum China is rapidly filling.
One stark example: the U.S. Agency for Global Media has lost 54 radio frequencies through cuts to Radio Free Asia, reducing its reach in authoritarian regions. Meanwhile, China has expanded its state-run media footprint by acquiring 80 new radio frequencies and offering content in additional languages, the report said.
The document also notes that more than 40 countries now count China, not the United States, as their largest bilateral development partner.
“China is building influence, expanding relationships and reshaping the global order to its advantage,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the committee’s top-ranking Democrat.
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Speaking to reporters, Shaheen suggested that concerns over China’s assertive global posture extend beyond partisan lines. Some Republican lawmakers, she noted, although not ready to publicly endorse the report, have expressed similar anxieties behind closed doors.
The office of the committee’s Republican chair, Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, declined to comment, AP reported.
The report also takes aim at Trump’s aggressive tariff policy, which has targeted traditional allies like the European Union, Canada, Japan, and Mexico.
“Blanket tariffs are not just wreaking economic havoc at home, they are also eroding longstanding U.S. alliances, including making it even more difficult to increase defense spending to 5%” of GDP, a benchmark recently agreed upon by NATO members.
Another major concern raised by Democrats involves the administration’s proposals to scale back funding for scientific research and impose tougher restrictions on foreign students studying in the U.S., moves they say could result in a damaging “brain drain.” The report warns that China is poised to capitalize on this exodus of talent by aggressively recruiting top minds.
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