Trump may be BRICS’s best recruitment agent

Former US President Donald Trump has made clear his objective to diminish the influence of the BRICS grouping – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. However, analysts suggest that his distinctive brand of foreign policy, characterized by an "America First" doctrine, trade protectionism, and a skeptical stance towards multilateral institutions, could paradoxically serve as BRICS's most effective recruitment tool. By unsettling established international frameworks and challenging the existing global order, Trump's actions inadvertently create a vacuum that organizations like BRICS are eager to fill.

BRICS was originally conceived as an economic cooperation mechanism to challenge Western hegemony and advocate for a more multipolar world. Its agenda includes reducing dependence on the US dollar for international transactions, fostering alternative financial systems, and increasing South-South cooperation. Trump's previous administration saw a rise in tariff disputes, withdrawals from international treaties, and an often-unpredictable approach to alliances. Such unpredictability and the prioritizing of domestic interests over global stability can cause anxiety among both allies and non-aligned nations, prompting them to explore more reliable and diversified international relationships.

In this context, countries that feel alienated or disadvantaged by US policy may increasingly turn to BRICS as a viable counterweight for economic partnership, diplomatic support, and even as a platform to voice discontent with the prevailing geopolitical landscape. The prospect of BRICS+ expansion, which has already seen new members join, is fueled by this dynamic. Trump's emphasis on unilateralism and his transactional approach to diplomacy could therefore accelerate the very trend he seeks to reverse, facilitating the growth and consolidation of BRICS as a significant global player. This represents a significant unintended consequence of his foreign policy strategy, potentially strengthening an alternative international order.