Donald Trump is the first American president to think that the U.S.-led world order is undermining U.S. interests. Though the current order obviously benefits the United States, Trump is convinced that it benefits China even more. Fearing China's ascendance as another pole of global power, Trump has launched a project of creative destruction to destroy the old order and establish a new one that is more favorable for America.
Trump wants to pursue this objective by engaging with countries bilaterally, thereby always negotiating from a position of strength. He has shown particular disdain for traditional U.S. allies, whom he accuses of free riding, while also standing in the way of his demolition derby. Likewise, Trump cannot stand multilateral organizations that strengthen smaller and weaker countries vis-a-vis the U.S.
Given his "America First" strategy, Trump has spent his presidency undermining institutions such as the World Trade Organization and abandoning multilateral agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris climate accord. And because Trump has been able to pick new fights so fast, other countries have struggled to keep up, let alone form effective alliances against him.