Munich Report: Trump's 'wrecking-ball politics' threatens global order

2026-02-09 - 10:35

A major international security report has issued a stark warning that U.S. President Donald Trump's "wrecking-ball politics" is actively destroying the international order established after World War II. The Munich Security Conference (MSC) report, released ahead of its annual gathering, argues the Trump administration is dismantling the rules-based system it once led, with profound consequences for global stability. An 'Elephant in the Room' Disrupting Global Norms The report's cover features an elephant, symbolizing the Trump administration as the disruptive "elephant in the room" in global affairs. It states the U.S. now disregards foundational norms like territorial integrity and the prohibition of force, citing actions from Greenland to military strikes in multiple countries. "If the leading state fails to abide by the underlying principle... the already ailing system faces total collapse," the authors caution. They frame this not as a policy adjustment but a fundamental belief that