Has Trump Ruined America's Reputation Around The World? w/ Ian Bremmer (youtube.com)
The most obvious argument is that US had a stable, trusted position based on relationships with many countries. Anyone with such a relationship can quickly shift and demand more money (tariffs etc), and partners can't quickly adapt because they've chosen supply chains and business deals based on that stable relationship with the US. They have to accept the tariffs, but this definitely changes their attitude towards the US, which can no longer be considered stable or trustworthy in the same way, and have to start looking for other trading partners. Any US leader (or any country's leader but with less power) can do this for quick gains, cashing in on everything American leaders have before done, and at the cost of Americans later. The reason the US has access to this option, to suddenly cash in big on tariffs, is because of the trust relationship they established before, not because of anything the current admin is doing, obviously. If the US had done what it is doing now in previous years, their trading partners would have already diversified away from America and it would be poorer in options.
The same way, the US government has a trust relationship with US citizens. Money printing, stimulus, tariffs, which are inflation for the citizens, are accepted because they give immediate increased purchasing power eveyone will pay for later.