Foreign Policy: on Principles & Values

Bill Clinton: International support for Clinton during impeachment

The difference this time around, he added, is how democratic governments have responded. "Democratic countries around the world really dismissed the Clinton impeachment as a kind of a personal peccadillo turned into a self-righteous American democratic process run amok," he said. "This time, democratic countries see the future of American democracy at stake, and are worried about its viability, and therefore look at this as totally different than the Clinton case."

Donald Trump: Unlike Clinton, Trump lacks foreign support at time of need

Thomas Pickering, a former diplomat, said while Clinton was able to turn his close personal relationships with foreign leaders into a reservoir of political support in difficult times, "Trump's willingness to trample" on allied leaders has resulted in what he described as the "Macron effect"--a gradual defection of an erstwhile political friend at a time of need. Macron has openly criticized Trump for diminishing trust in NATO's deterrent by reducing the alliance to a commercial proposition.