Isolationism, Populism, and Infectious Disease: Uncertainty Over International Emergency Response Under the Trump Regime

Recent electoral and referendum decisions in both the United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK) have brought into sharp focus a growing resistance to an international orientation among an increasing number of states. A dramatic example of this can be seen in the result of the so-called ‘Brexit’ referendum decision in the United Kingdom (UK) that will ensure its departure from the European Union. Nationalism and racism were undoubtedly crucial elements fueling the outcome of this populist vote. A similar example of successful marketing of isolationism and nationalism can be seen in the electoral triumph of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States of America. Trump’s campaign was based on a particularly potent mixture of grassroots xenophobia and nostalgia. Trump’s campaign identified Mexican immigrants as criminals and rapists and focused on promising to build a wall (“Build The Wall”) to protect an America that he suggested would once again be a great country (“Make America Great Again”).

These incidents are far from being isolated events. In France the far right is gaining significant ground under the leadership of Marine Le Pen who espouses blatant Islamophobia. Similar racist ideologies are being promulgated in the Netherlands and Denmark with growing populist electoral success.

The impact of this growing racist insularity on international efforts to control potential infectious disease epidemics may be considerable. It should be acknowledged that the US was crucially involved in international efforts to control the recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa. However, Trump’s nationalist and isolationist agenda will undoubtedly undermine, if not eradicate, US commitment to future participation in combatting such outbreaks (“America First”). It must be acknowledged that future international cooperation involving the US seems to be in jeopardy in a range of arenas. For example, the Trump administration has consistently attacked international organizations such as the United Nations (UN).