Is the world darker under Trump?

Introduction

Is the world a worse place in 2025 because of Donald Trump?

It is not an easy question, but it is an unavoidable one. Wars, racism, and extremism did not begin with Donald Trump, and they will not end with him. Yet since his return to the White House, the world feels angrier, more divided, and less secure. That is not coincidence – it is consequence.

In early 2025, as Donald Trump reclaimed the White House, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the world had taken a darker turn. It wasn’t just the headlines – though the media’s relentless drumbeat about inevitable wars in the Middle East or escalations with China certainly fueled anxiety. It was the everyday nastiness creeping into feeds on platforms like X: emboldened trolls spewing hate toward immigrants, minorities, and anyone deemed ‘other,’ all seemingly amplified by a political climate that normalised division. Living in Australia, far from the epicentre, I still felt the ripples – local debates on immigration turning uglier.

Why it is worse

Global politics tells the first part of the story. Trump’s foreign policy is a pendulum swing of threats and boasts, leaving allies unsure and adversaries emboldened. He hints at peace in Ukraine day and rattles sabres at China the next. NATO partners, long used to American steadiness, now wonder whether Washington is a shield or a risk. When America projects instability, it ripples through every corner of the world.

The second part is cultural. Trump has made division a political currency, and others have taken note. His words have given racists and extremists the permission they crave. What was once muttered in shadows is now shouted in rallies and posted online without shame. Even here in Australia, far-right voices have found new energy, emboldened by the sense that if the U.S. president can sneer at immigrants, minorities, and opponents, then they can too.

Economics adds another layer. Trump’s tariff tantrums and trade wars may play well at rallies, but they punish markets and households alike. People feel the squeeze in rising costs and uncertain jobs. History teaches us that economic anxiety is tinder; Trump’s rhetoric provides the spark.

And then there is democracy itself. Trump has shown open disdain for courts, the press, and even the idea of accountability. That message does not stay contained within U.S. borders. Authoritarians abroad see opportunity. If America – the supposed model of democracy – treats the rule of law as an inconvenience, why should they do otherwise?

Perhaps the most corrosive change is harder to measure but easy to feel: the tone of the times. Leaders set atmospheres. Trump sets one of grievance, suspicion, and perpetual conflict. The world has become meaner because he thrives on meanness. The world has become harsher because he rewards harshness.

So, is the world a worse place in 2025 because of Donald Trump? The evidence points to yes. Not because he invented hatred or conflict, but because he has amplified them, normalised them, and unleashed them on a scale that reaches far beyond America. His presidency is a reminder that leadership matters – not just in policy, but in the spirit it gives to an age. And right now, that spirit is darker than it needs to be.

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