Sparta, Athens and the Oval Office: Xi’s Thucydides Trap Warning to Trump

Trump, however, had already clocked the subtext. Responding on social media, he noted that Xi had “very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation.” He was quick to push back. “Two years ago, we were, in fact, a Nation in decline,” Trump posted. “Now, the United States is the hottest Nation anywhere in the world, and hopefully our relationship with China will be stronger and better than ever before.”