当前两个事件——一个正在发生、另一个即将发生——鲜明地体现了所谓的“特朗普效应”对美国政治与政策制定的深刻影响。
第一件事关于特朗普政府禁止哈佛大学招收国际学生。
美国国土安全部长克里斯蒂诺姆在一封发布于X（前称Twitter）的信件中表示：“我在此通知您，即日起，哈佛大学的学生与交流访问学者计划（SEVP）认证已被撤销。”
诺姆虽未提供证据，但声称特朗普政府之所以这样做，是因为哈佛大学“纵容暴力与反犹主义，并与中国共产党合作”。
出人意料的是，特朗普政府这项明显亲以色列、反中国的大动作，引来包括西方媒体在内几乎一致的谴责，认为这是一次灾难性的政治打击，不仅损害美国高等教育，更重创了美国的国际声誉。目前，联邦法官已发布临时限制令暂缓特朗普政府命令生效，但此事件与相关的法律攻防战已引起全球媒体，包括马来西亚媒体广泛关注。
对哈佛指控的反应
面对此决定，哈佛大学的国际学生群体与即将入学的新生纷纷感到焦虑与困惑。批评者也指出，特朗普禁令将严重削弱哈佛，以及整个美国高教体系作为全球人才首选地的吸引力。
教育界人士指出，国际学生学费不仅为大学带来可观的收入，也对科研贡献良多。这项禁令预示著美国在经济与学术层面的双重损失。
无论反对特朗普政府这一空前打击学术机构自主政策的行动能否成功，很明显，他们正在与一个认为这一政策发展是必要的、符合“让美国再次伟大”（MAGA）选举纲领的政府作斗争。
除了外交政策外，MAGA议程的一大核心，就是针对移民政策的强硬立场。这包括亲以色列的犹太游说团体试图控制那一些允许支持巴勒斯坦示威，谴责加沙种族灭绝活动的大学。无辜被波及的，还有中国学生——他们被特朗普政府视为潜在颠覆者，并对美国国家安全构成威胁。
批评者也担忧，这种强硬新政策将导致美国软实力的衰落，而软实力正是美国在全球地缘政治中占据主导地位的基石。
另一些人认为，这也再次体现了美国政策的虚伪，与美国一向自诩的人权捍卫者、自由民主典范、倡导学术自由等价值观和形像不符。尤其是在特朗普对世界其他国家发动关税战之后，美国国际形象更急遽下滑。
美国硬实力展示与强化
为弥补软实力的下滑，美国正强化其硬实力。5月20日，特朗普宣布一项计划在未来20年间投入5400亿美元（2.2兆令吉），建设“金色穹顶”（Golden Dome）导弹防御系统，以防范地面与太空来袭的武器攻击。
另一项更具象征与宣传效果的动作，是美军将于6月10日在华盛顿特区举办军事阅兵，纪念美军建军250周年。特朗普在其第一任期曾试图举办类似阅兵，当时未能成功；这一次，阅兵将于他79岁生日当天隆重登场。
这次阅兵会展示美国尖端军事装备，旨在突出美国的硬实力，并体现旨在增强美国军事优势和破坏力的“让美国再次伟大”议程。这也与“美国优先”理念相契合——强大的美国能够在不依赖国际机构或联盟的情况下展现其实力和意志。
此外，阅兵也是为了重建美军在阿富汗撤军后失去的威信——特朗普常以此谴责拜登政府——导致美军地位下降。
尽管有人批评这是政治化军队的浪费行径，有如威权政权的排场，这场盛大的军事秀仍被视为对内激发美国人爱国情怀，对外传递美国强硬讯号的工具。
特朗普“软硬兼施”政策下地缘政治效应
在当今的全球地缘政治格局中，特朗普下美国软实力衰落与硬实力增强的影响已显现。我们看到，美国赖以引领并维持强大联盟的某些软实力吸引力要素每天都在消散。而其他在媒体、娱乐和服务领域的软实力要素，如好莱坞电影、CNN（有线电视新闻网）、迪士尼乐园、麦当劳、肯德基、可口可乐和耐吉，在包括众多海外华人在内的非美国人支持下，依然保持著相对的韧性。
无论如何，越来越多西方与亚洲盟友将美国视为不可信赖、喜欢霸凌他国的国家，美国也在国际体系中逐渐陷入孤立，激起全球的不满与反弹。
像加拿大、墨西哥、丹麦及欧盟诸国，长期承受特朗普政府软硬兼施的压力，已开始寻找更可靠且互利的新伙伴。甚至不排除这些国家将以特朗普式“交易外交”来反击美国。
讽刺的是，特朗普这套结合软硬实力的做法，或许正无意间为主张多极国际秩序的国家提供了意识形态基础与共同立场，促使多极世界更快、更有力地成形。
林德宜《特朗普对美国软实力与硬实力影响》原文：Trump Effect on American Soft and Hard Power
Two developments, one unfolding and the other about to take place, are not only emblematic of the Trump effect on U.S. politics and policy making.
The first relates to the Trump administration’s action in halting Harvard University’s ability to enrol international students.
“I am writing to inform you that, effective immediately, Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Programme certification is revoked,” U.S. Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem said in a letter shared on X.
Noem, although providing no evidence, asserted that the Trump administration is holding Harvard accountable for “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus”.
Quite surprisingly, this latest pro Israel and anti-China target of the Trump administration has seen the Western media outlets join the almost unanimous condemnation of the move as a disastrous politically motivated attack on higher education and a damaging blow to America's global standing. For now, a federal judge has temporarily blocked the order. But the announcement and ongoing legal battle is continuing to generate media coverage around the world, including in Malaysia.
Reaction to Charges Against Harvard
Alongside the numerous reports of the widespread anxiety and confusion among Harvard's international student body and incoming cohort, critics argue that the ban will undermine Harvard's and the broader U.S. higher education system’s appeal as a top destination for international talent.
Concerned American educationists have noted that international students contribute significantly to their university revenue and research, and they point out that the ban will have severe economic and academic consequences.
Whether opponents of this unprecedented action aimed at undermining the autonomy of academic institutions can succeed or not, it is clear they are battling an administration that sees this policy development as necessary and consistent with the “Make America Great Again” electoral platform.
Apart from its foreign policy components, a key aspect of this agenda is its broad hardline domestic stance on immigration. This has included attempts by the highly influential Zionist lobby to exert control over universities for permitting pro Palestinian demonstrations condemning the genocidal activities in Gaza. Also targeted but without good reason are Chinese students who are seen by the Trump administration as potentially subversive and a threat to American national security.
At the same time, critics of this latest hard line policy are concerned that it could lead to a waning of U.S. soft power which has sustained the dominant position that the country has enjoyed in global geopolitics.
Others view it as another example of the hypocrisy of American policy in failing to align with the values and image it espouses as human rights champion, liberal democracy model, academic freedom advocate, etc. This concern has been heightened by the free fall in the country’s reputation, especially since Trump’s tariff war against the rest of the world.
Reinforcing and Parading American Hard Power
To make up for the decline in American soft power, its hard power is being reinforced. On May 20, Trump announced plans that could result in $540bn being spent over 20 years on the “Golden Dome” missile defense system to protect the United States from ground- and space-based weapon strikes.
Intended to be more flashy and striking in its public relations impact is a U.S. army parade through the streets of Washington DC to commemorate the force's 250 birthday on 10th June. Trump had tried unsuccessfully to hold a similar military parade during his first term. This time round he has succeeded in organising it on a day coinciding with his 79th birthday!
The parade featuring cutting edge military assets and equipment is intended to show off American hard power and to reflect the MAGA agenda aimed at strengthening the U.S. military's superiority and destructive capability. It also ties up with the "America First" philosophy - that a strong America is capable of projecting its might and will without relying on international bodies or alliances.
The parade can also be seen as an effort to restore the prestige of the American military after its retreat in Afghanistan - a subject that Trump repeatedly brings up in his denunciation of the Biden administration - and its diminished standing.
Though viewed as an unnecessary expense and unprecedented politicization of the military - some critics have described it as a display befitting authoritarian regimes - the looming grand display of military strength is also intended to appeal to the patriotism of Americans as well as send a message to the world.
Geopolitical Ramifications of Trump's Soft and Hard Power Combo
What this Trumpian convergence of waning U.S. soft power and reinforcement of hard power is leading up to is discernible in global geopolitics today. We are seeing that some components of the soft power appeal which America has had to lead and maintain strong
alliances are dissipating practically on a daily basis. Other soft power components in media, entertainment, services, etc such as Hollywood movies, CNN, Disneyland, McDonald's, KFC, Coca-Cola and Nike have remained relatively resilient with support from non American audiences including many overseas Chinese.
Increasingly though the U.S. is viewed as an untrustworthy and unreliable bully by Western and Asian allies; and is making itself isolated in the global system, besides breeding resentment and resistance.
Countries such as Canada, Mexico, Denmark and the European Union countries subjected to the soft and hard power tactics of the Trump administration are beginning to look for more reliable and beneficial partnerships to the current one with the U.S. Not out of the question is the possibility that they will retaliate with the same transactional approach in international relations that Trump is practicing.
Ironically it may be that the Trump combination of hard and soft power policy and action may provide advocates of a multipolar international system with the ideological foundation and solidarity necessary for it to emerge more quickly and strongly.
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