Trump’s Moves Threaten Core Sources of US Soft Power, Experts Warn
AFP/APP
Washington: The Trump administration’s attempt to block Harvard University from enrolling international students—despite its global reputation for academic excellence—has sparked widespread concern among diplomats, academics, and lawmakers, who see the move as a significant blow to America’s soft power.
Although a federal judge has temporarily suspended the ban, the decision to target Harvard is part of a broader ideological campaign waged by former President Donald Trump.
This campaign has chipped away at decades-old initiatives designed to foster diversity, strengthen global partnerships, and project US influence through diplomacy, culture, and education.
Under Trump’s leadership, the administration slashed foreign aid, curtailed university research funding, and curtailed or canceled numerous academic exchange programs.
Critics argue that these actions have triggered fears of a brain drain, with prominent scholars seeking opportunities abroad.
The former president also took aim at major cultural and media institutions, including the publicly funded Voice of America, which he sought to silence, and the Smithsonian museums, which he accused of “ideological indoctrination.”
Trump even assumed the chairmanship of the prestigious Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, a move seen by critics as symbolic of his attempt to exert control over cultural narratives.
In another striking move, Trump threatened to impose a 100 percent tariff on foreign-produced films shown in the United States.
The proposed tariff could have devastated international productions such as Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, a big-budget Hollywood film shot largely in Britain and South Africa and currently featured at the Cannes Film Festival.
The cumulative effect of these policies, analysts warn, is a significant erosion of U.S. soft power—defined by political scientist Joseph Nye in the 1980s as a country’s ability to achieve desired outcomes through attraction rather than coercion or force.
“International students contribute to our economy, support US jobs, and are among our most powerful tools of diplomacy and soft power,” said Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “This reckless action does lasting damage to our global influence.”
Harvard, one of the world’s most prestigious institutions, counts among its alumni global leaders such as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te.
The administration’s attempt to block international enrollment at the university has sent shockwaves through American academia, raising fears that the United States is turning inward at the expense of its global standing.
While the judicial intervention has given Harvard temporary relief, observers say the long-term damage to America’s image, influence, and intellectual leadership could be far more enduring.
