Rishi Sunak says Trump is a symptom of a world order that is over
The former British leader says the American-backed system of shared rules has ended, leaving uncertainty about what comes next.
Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition · Trump Dismisses Iran Aid Concerns; Houthis Continue Saudi AttacksFormer British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak argues that the American-backed system of shared global rules is over, and that President Donald Trump is a symptom of that shift rather than its cause.
By that, he meant the shared rules that businesses and governments operated within, with American power largely enforcing them. Sunak spoke on the first day of an economic forum in New Delhi.
Sunak said the old order is over and that Trump was not behind it: "President Trump is not a cause of that, he's a symptom of that," Sunak said.
Sunak said the world is now in a period where "we don't quite know what we've settled down to," warning that unsettled period "creates an enormous amount of geopolitical uncertainty and indeed danger." He offered no specific picture of what replaces the old system.
Questions people ask
What was the American-backed system Sunak was describing?
It was the loose set of rules built after World War II for trade, borders and conflict, supported by groups like the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. The United States used its military, alliances and the dollar to encourage other countries to follow those rules.
Why would the end of that system matter for ordinary businesses?
Companies built supply chains and investments around the idea that goods, money and contracts could move across borders under predictable rules. If those rules weaken, shipping, energy costs and access to markets can become less predictable, which can raise prices and risk.