Opinion | Can The New President Save America's Waning 'Soft Power'?

Elections in all the seven battleground states of the US have already concluded, while results have been declared for two. So far, Republican candidate Donald Trump appears to be in the lead as votes are being counted. As early as last week, when over 66 million Americans had already cast their ballots for the presidential election, claims of vote rigging and fraud had begun flooding social media. It was reminiscent of 2020, when Trump took to social media to declare himself the “real” winner, sparking the “Stop the Steal” rallying cry among his supporters. Naturally, this time, around 70% of Americans believed that Trump would reject the results if he lost.

It's almost unimaginable, isn't it? After all, this is the American democracy that used to be the world's gold standard, the peaceful transfer of power something other nations aspired to mirror. As an Indian who has covered many elections, I can say the contrast is striking—our democracy may have its quirks, but we are rather used to smooth transfers of power. 

Meanwhile, the America that once championed the free press and the right to protest now appears stuck in a state of democratic backsliding. Polarisation, bipartisan gridlock and eroded trust in government have taken their toll, with big-money campaigns and public mistrust steadily chipping away at the foundations. What might President Ronald Reagan think about the state of his country? He was known for his robust American exceptionalism views and often emphasised America's moral superiority and divine mission to spread democracy.