Does a 2nd Trump term mean the American century is really over? Yes and no

According to Joseph Nye, a second Trump term really will mean the American century is over. In a way. But we can’t be sure.

Weasel words? Perhaps. But there’s a reason.

The Harvard professor’s book, ‘Is the American Century Over?’ was published not too long ago. Recently, Professor Nye acknowledged that “a second term for Trump would certainly make it more difficult to recover American soft power; indeed, the erosion of trust in the US would likely accelerate.”

But he also admitted that “a lot of America’s soft power comes from our civil society, not our government. Much would depend on civil society’s resilience. It is worth remembering that American soft power recovered from its previous low point, during the Vietnam War, surviving the presidencies of Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon.”