As tensions grow higher regarding rapidly growing powers like Russia and China, the United States remains cautious. In this, the Biden administration has suggested moving away from the previous administration's policies in that it wishes to engage in a less isolationist approach. Issues such as the proliferation of nuclear weapons as well as climate change are easy to counter on paper and are meant to be prioritized; however, it is easier said than done in President Biden's shoes. The United States is meant to cooperate with foreign states and engage in multilateral diplomacy; however, Trump has hindered this ability almost beyond repair.

A majority of the damage that Trump has placed upon the diplomatic capabilities of the United States has been through the withdrawal of promises. These promises are, for example, the abandonment of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action as well as leaving the 2015 Paris Climate Accord.

These decisions have left an impact disallowing the nation to engage in agreements of that sort recently.

If certain agreements were to be made before the abandonment of the U.S. in these plans, then there would undoubtedly be better results. As previously stated, these agreements are not being allowed because states like Iran, which have the most to lose, don’t have faith in the strength of the U.S.'s word.

For example, in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iran has demanded an ample amount of compensation, and the U.S. has asked for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to be named a terrorist organization; however, these have been grounds for disagreement.

Along with the trust that Trump affected in regard to diplomacy with foreign nations, he also forced the United States to isolate itself to protect its national interest. He created an “America First policy,” which made it so that the United States had to compete with every other nation to be the best.

Great power competition is a prevalent form of foreign policy, primarily because both the Trump administration and Biden utilized it in a sense. In this context, it is easy to assume that Biden is just a mimic of Trump, but with variances, that is far from the truth. The differences that they both have will determine the success of the U.S. as more reliable to its allies.

The challenge is again, overcoming the stain that Trump has left on the nation.

As stated by Connor Finnegan in ABC, "Trump's changed America's role in the world while Biden vows to "restore" it." Biden holds the right mindset on the international situation regarding creating alliances rather than breaking them.

Engaging in Multilateral relations, much like his predecessor Barack Obama, is what he intends to do to hoist the United States out of this hole where it presides. To enforce this, President Biden has engaged in several policy changes in contrast to Trump.

These policies, for example, assume the role of "peacemaker" in the Middle East. The United States has taken it upon itself to facilitate neutral relations among Israel and Palestine in order to prevent future conflict in the region. The national interest has transformed from "America First and only" to maintaining peace and stability in the areas with which it aligns itself.

In terms of multilateralism, Biden has made sure to tighten the relationships that the U.S. has with international organizations, such as the revival of support in the World Health Organization as well as the United Nations Human Rights Council.

The reputation of the United States is being restored, as always open to alliances and organizations that will promote international stability. Biden has stated that his mission, in all of his actions, is to be "restor[ing] our historic partnerships." There are conflicts around the world that have the prospect of being alleviated if Biden succeeds in a complete policy change.

There are several critics of Biden's presidency in that he has not contributed enough to the issue of inflation and the border crisis; however, he has done much more in terms of these issues than Trump ever did. In his entrance to office, the inflation caused gas prices to exceed four dollars a gallon, but it has steadily decreased over time in some regions of the nation. Along with this, the border crisis has been attempted to be solved, with resolutions passed by Biden of Trump's policies, but Congress negated it.

There are always barriers of bureaucracy that don't allow change to happen so quickly, although any movement away from President Trump's policies is beneficial to the U.S. With an increasingly aggressive China, the United States needs to rely on forming and maintaining alliances that it holds in the Indo-Pacific now more than ever to deter China from officially launching an attack on Taiwan.

The issue of China also comes with the current conflicts that have arisen in Ukraine and Israel, where the U.S. has a responsibility to provide aid to both states. The amount of aid available to be given is being strained is immense, and resolution needs to be sought quickly. Maintenance of allies in the region can provide support in this, as aid can be supplied and foreign intervention can be communicated.

With the support of other nations and international organizations, the United States can adequately return to its peak competitive state, and Biden's implementation of change is necessary to do so. Instead of scrutinizing Biden for not achieving instant change from his policy resolutions, encouragement of an international approach should be shown. His cleansing of the nation has its barriers, just like any policy implementation.

By implementing multilateralism in the U.S., Biden is ensuring that "America First" does not come to America as last in terms of power.

Aidan Fernandes is a Junior at the University of George Mason studying Government and International Politics with a concentration in International Relations and is reachable at aferna25@gmu.edu.