Democrats offer European allies the promise of a post-Trump future. But can they deliver?
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Amid the gloom of a security conference focused on the breakdown in transatlantic relations under President Trump, Joe Biden offered beleaguered Europeans a ray of hope this weekend.
“This too shall pass,” the former vice president promised. “We will be back.”
The comment earned Biden, a possible candidate for president in 2020, sustained applause from a crowd that clearly wanted to believe the United States will return to a more familiar role as trusted friend after two years of Trump turning on allies and cozying up to adversaries.
But Europeans are not convinced that Biden, or anyone, can deliver.
Even if Democrats beat Trump when he vies for reelection next year, U.S. allies say the damage will be difficult to reverse. They point to long-term trends in the United States — especially a growing skepticism toward global engagement — that suggest key elements of Trumpism will live on, regardless of how long he serves or who succeeds him.
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