Trump’s damage is done. Democrats – and Europe – are struggling to define what’s next

Munich, Germany  —  Many of the Democrats who came to the Munich Security Conference this weekend want to be president. But even if one of them can win the White House in 2028, they may find they can no longer claim the title every American president since the 1940s has borne: leader of the free … The post Trump’s damage is done. Democrats – and Europe – are struggling to define what’s next appeared first on Egypt Independent. California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, on Friday. Liesa Johannssen/Reuters Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Munich, Germany — Many of the Democrats who came to the Munich Security Conference this weekend want to be president. But even if one of them can win the White House in 2028, they may find they can no longer claim the title every American president since the 1940s has borne: leader of the free world. California Gov. Gavin Newsom went on stage to insist his state is more permanent than President Donald Trump. But he acknowledged in an interview with CNN that the leaders he met with believe the damage to the transatlantic alliance is irrevocable. Progressive star Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York came to pitch a left-wing populist foreign policy but made headlines for a massive stumble instead. A number of Democratic senators hoping to burnish their foreign policy credentials ahead of possible presidential bids found themselves in a painfully awkward moment with the Danish prime minister, as some Democrats tried to smooth over pugnacious remarks Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham made at the start of the meeting that suggested Trump has not given up his designs on Greenland – a semiautonomous territory of Denmark. And most members of the House of Representatives who planned to attend didn’t come at all after Republican Speaker Mike Johnson pulled the plug on the congressional delegation. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during the 62nd Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany on Saturday. Thomar Kienzle/AFP/Getty Images European thought leaders were reduced to offering a brief standing ovation to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose speech was far more conciliatory than the one Vice President JD Vance delivered at the same gathering last year. But Rubio had kicked off his trip telling American reporters: “The old world is gone.” He also left the conference to fly onward to Slovakia and Hungary, two countries led by strongmen sympathetic to Trump. The conference’s opening remarks from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz crystallized Europe’s new reality in what seems to be rapidly becoming a post-American century. “A divide has opened up between Europe and the United States,” Merz said Friday. “The United States’ claim to leadership has been challenged, and possibly lost.” It’s more than just words. Merz has said he held “confidential talks” with France on European nuclear deterrence. It’s a stunning admission there’s no longer unconditional trust that the US will do what needs to be done for its transatlantic allies. “What I’m hearing now is, even if we are able to repair these relationships, it’s going to take generations before they feel comfortable,” said Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, of Arizona, a possible presidential hopeful who traveled to Munich not long after learning the Trump administration had tried and failed to indict him over a video he made telling troops not to obey illegal orders. A diminished America The scene in Munich was a far cry from the heyday of the late Republican Sen. John McCain, who was central to making the conference a critical stop for anyone hoping to play a role in leading the free world. US senator John McCain speaks on the first day of the 53rd Munich Security Conference (MSC) at the Bayerischer Hof hotel in Munich, southern Germany, on February 17, 2017. Thomas Kienzle/AFP/Getty Images There’s still a dinner named for him on the first night of the conference – his son Jimmy McCain represented the family there this year – and his photo and quote hang on the wall on the ground level of the historic Bayerischer Hof hotel. “I refuse to accept the demise of our world order,” the 2017 quote reads. “I am a proud, unapologetic believer in the West. I believe we must always, always stand up for it. For if we do not, who will?” Trying to carry the torch was Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, who closed down the basement Trader Vic’s tiki bar Friday night with shots of peach schnapps, as McCain used to. But there was no one named McCain speaking on the main stage this year, and relatively few members of Congress attended a reception for the delegation hosted by the German chancellor. The usually jocular Graham, McCain’s old friend turned staunch Trump ally, seemed instead in a dark mood, telling reporters he was urging Trump to take action in Iran or risk emboldening Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. If America doesn’t take down the Iranian regime “it will be a disaster,” Graham said in an interview with Politico. “It means you can’t rely on America. … It means the Western world is full of crap. All they do is talk, and when rubber meets the road, they don’t do a damn thing.” Strength vs. weakness A significant percentage of the US Democratic elected officials who were in Munich are likely hoping to replace Trump in 2028: Newsom, Ocasio-Cortez and Kelly, along with former Comme