American analyst criticizing Trump’s policies: We are checkmating ourselves

Pars Today – John Mearsheimer, a prominent American theorist, criticized the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump, warning that the United States is on a path toward internal collapse.

Pars Today – John Mearsheimer, a prominent American theorist and analyst, recently criticized the domestic and foreign policies of U.S. President Donald Trump, stating that Washington has mocked the foundations of the international system and that the United States is experiencing internal collapse.

Mearsheimer pointed to the distancing from key allies, such as Denmark and the United Kingdom, as a sign of domestic arrogance and diplomatic incompetence in the U.S., which has jeopardized Western hegemony. He added that America’s internal collapse is not due to external pressures from rivals, but rather stems from a chaotic mix of domestic pride and diplomatic incapacity.

Two symbolic crises: Greenland and the Caribbean

Mearsheimer sees two recent events as clear signs of this trend. First, the appointment of Jeff Landry, a Trump loyalist governor, as a special envoy to negotiate the purchase of Greenland. This move, which provoked anger from a long-standing ally like Denmark and even defensive reactions from the European Union, is, in Mearsheimer’s view, not a political joke. He describes it as a display of “aggressive realism in its rawest form”, sending a clear message to all allies that Washington no longer views them as partners, but rather as subordinate states whose territories and resources are available for acquisition if necessary. This approach, he argues, ridicules the concept of sovereignty and undermines the foundational trust of alliances such as NATO.

Second, the United Kingdom’s decision to cut intelligence cooperation with the U.S. in the Caribbean. The reason behind this move is Washington’s unilateral military operations outside the framework of international law against ships allegedly carrying drugs, which resulted in the deaths of dozens of people.

Consequences: U.S. isolation and the strengthening of rivals

According to Mearsheimer, the consequences of this trend for America’s strategic position are disastrous. Instead of uniting the West to counter rivals like China and Russia, Washington is actively alienating its own allies.

Humiliating Europe, he argues, could push it toward strategic autonomy and even closer alignment with Beijing. This shift would not only limit U.S. export markets, but could also pose a serious challenge to the dollar’s position as the global currency, thereby weakening Washington’s financial capacity to maintain its military and global influence.

He said that what is promoted as “America First” in practice leads to “America Alone”—a United States that has lost its allies, become unpredictable and bullying, and whose vulnerability has sharply increased in a complex and hostile world.

Mearsheimer also warned that this path pushes the world toward a scenario where rules are rewritten by force, the risk of conflict and war due to miscalculations rises, and a period of deep instability replaces the previous international order. In his view, the U.S., instead of acting as a firefighter, is “running around with a flamethrower.” His final warning: “We are checkmating ourselves.”