Following World War II, the United States emerged as the most powerful nation on earth, and following the fall of the Soviet Union, it wielded its influence in a unipolar world. Through the second half of the 20th century, its Western allies bolstered U.S. hegemony.

As the world entered a period of hyper-globalization, the international power dynamics began to shift, resembling the time before World War I, with China, Europe, Russia, and India rising in clout. While the U.S. is “first among equals,” that rank is under attack by the global rise of the right, particularly with the election of Donald Trump.

Trump embodies the isolationist attitude present in the anti-Europe movement and the ethno-nationalism rising in the United States. He has signaled his desire for the U.S. to pullto the preservation of its status as “first among equals” in a multipolar world. Through the second half of the 20th century and into the new millennium, Europe has been a reliable ally in solving global problems, protecting human rights, advocating for democratic norms, and improving the quality of life for countless people. Trump must not cede U.S. global authority; he must acknowledge that our alliance with Europe has been a vital element in the prosperity and success of the U.S.

In a prescient piece for The New York Times, Bill Keller characterized isolationism in this way:

Isolationism is not just an aversion to war, which is an altogether healthy instinct. It is a broader reluctance to engage, to assert responsibility, to commit. Isolationism tends to be pessimistic (we will