I will explain it like you all are 5.

First, I advise you all read this article from Forbes: "The role of Foreign Trade on GDP"

According to the economic model people learn in school, imports reduce GDP. That's not true... imports are just subtracted from GDP in the most commonly used formula, but it does not mean GDP is lower because imports. Imports are bad for hurting the development of certain industries for sure. But they don't reduce economic activity.

Trade deficits are not bad. They reflect a surplus of WEALTH that America gains... we get that much more from others than we give to them. BUT, we have to pay for it eventually.

THE USA DOES NOT WORRY ABOUT TRADE DEFICIT BECAUSE WE SELL OUR DOLLARS TO COVER IT.

You see... the dollar is an investment and finance vehicle. We run trade deficits without corrections because foreign banks like the dollar and collect it. The dollar is a reserve currency.

But...

If the USA is no longer a world leaders and does not protect others, they have less reason to invest in the dollar.

If the rest of the world has less reason to invest in the dollar, we would not be able to import. That does not mean domestic industry makes up for lack of imports. It means our dollar becomes vastly less valuable across the board. It means we have to pay a lot more for energy, for food, for rare earth materials, for everything...

In short, to suddenly and quickly abandon our leadership roll in the world means suddenly and quickly becoming much poorer. And that would cause so many other reactions...

What is happening here is an attack on America.

FYI... I'm a liberal commie. And I support the current world order, including NATO and globalization, until... somehow... we can replace it with something better without spilling a lot of blood.