GSR’s Brett Bruen in Fast Company: I was responsible for America’s global brand at the White House. The damage is irreversible.
I spent the first half of my career protecting America’s global image as a diplomat on the streets of Tikrit, Caracas, and Antananarivo. Serving as director of Global Engagement at the Obama White House, it was my job to build long-term strategies to strengthen our influence around the world. When I left the government in 2015, I felt that we were making good progress.
Then came Donald Trump, a former reality show mogul who seemed to exemplify all of the worst caricatures of America. He banned Muslims and called Mexicans rapists, attacked allies while embracing dictators, rejected science and facts. Our credibility crumbled. Our prestige plummeted. Decades of work was destroyed in a tweet.