As President Donald Trump completes a turbulent period, in which he ruffled the feathers of America’s G7 allies and attended a historic summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, it is worth comparing his approach with that of one of his predecessors in the Oval Office, President Jimmy Carter.
Carter believed that he strengthened America by also strengthening its allies, working with them rather than criticizing them. His example serves as a counterbalance to the current “America First” policy, which places the US in isolation.
When it comes to G7 summits, independent experts view the 1978 economic summit at Bonn as the high-water mark for success. With the leadership of President Carter, German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and French President Giscard d’Estaing, economic, energy and trade policies were harmonized. This contrasts sharply with the divisive actions of President Trump in Canada at this...
from The European Sting
Ambassador Eizenstat served as U.S. Ambassador to the European Union from 1993 to 1996. He has held a number of key senior positions over the course of three U.S. administrations including chief White House domestic policy adviser to President Jimmy Carter, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs, and Deputy Secretary of the Treasury in the Clinton Administration.