As an infant republic, the external business of the United States was survival. The founders could not have known that its foreign policy would outgrow that basic exigency to become a globe-moulding force. Had they seen the future — American troops are stationed in most of the world’s countries — they might have designed a presidency with less discretion over foreign affairs.
The case is growing that Donald Trump, the current possessor of that awesome discretion, sought foreign help against domestic opponents. What started as a story about Ukraine has widened to include China. What centred on a phone call in July now takes in a range of interactions over a longer period. “They’re looking into a keyhole,” says Bob Woodward, whose reporting felled Richard Nixon, of the Democrats investigating the president. “And it’s a panorama.”
The legal and moral principles at issue are serious enough. Less discussed are the geopolitical implications. The scandal promises to leave the US looking less reliable than ever as an actor in the world. If it is seen to have pressed a desperate country for kompromat, on pain of withheld aid, the signal to other allies will be grim. A revisionist power, such as Russia, will suggest that a nation counts on America at its own risk. And it will be a difficult claim to refute.