When Donald Trump stood at the podium of the United Nations General Assembly in 2018 and declared that his administration had achieved more than any in U.S. history, the chamber rippled with laughter. The moment was replayed endlessly, a symbol of how the world saw him then: brash, boastful, and unserious.

Fast forward to today, and the same UN corridors that once echoed with ridicule now host hushed overtures to Trump. Leaders from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, some of whom openly distanced themselves during his presidency, are seeking meetings, sounding out his advisers, and preparing for the very real possibility of his return to the White House.

This dramatic reversal is not about affection for Trump’s persona but about pragmatism. In a world shaken by multiple wars, economic shocks, and a shifting balance of power, foreign capitals are hedging. They know that U.S. leadership—however unpredictable—remains central to global security and economic stability. And with Trump leading in polls, diplomacy has become a game of anticipation rather than reaction.

For America’s allies, the calculation is stark: prepare now or risk being sidelined later. European leaders, worried about NATO’s future, are quietly drawing contingency plans while still courting Trump’s circle. In the Middle East, governments see his transactional approach as an opportunity to secure deals on defense and energy. In Asia, where the rise of China looms large, leaders are betting that Trump’s unpredictability might also be his leverage against Beijing.

Yet there is an undercurrent of unease. Trump’s first term strained alliances, unsettled trade relations, and tested the resilience of multilateral institutions. A second term could bring more of the same, only with fewer constraints and a world even more fractured than before.

The laughter of 2018 has faded into a sobering reality: Donald Trump is no longer the outsider who shocked the establishment but a political force reshaping the calculations of statesmen across continents. Whether admired or feared, he is being taken seriously and that says more about the fragility of the world order than it does about the man himself.