Available evidence indicates that in 2022 U.S. influence on the global stage did not materially decline and, in several key respects, actually strengthened.

Politically and militarily, the U.S. led the international response to Russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine. Washington organized the Ramstein Air Base meeting in April 2022, bringing together defense officials from more than 40 nations to coordinate military support for Ukraine, a core exercise of U.S.-led coalition management. (en.wikipedia.org) Broader analyses of the war stress that it revitalized NATO and strengthened U.S. leadership over the alliance and Europe’s security response, rather than diminishing it. (peoplenewstoday.com) These developments point to renewed reliance on U.S. power and leadership, not a loss of geopolitical weight.

Economically, the United States remained the world’s largest economy in 2022, accounting for roughly a quarter of global nominal GDP (about US$25.3 trillion out of ~US$104 trillion), a share consistent with its pre‑2022 position. (our.today) The dollar also retained its central role in the international monetary system: as of Q4 2022, it made up about 58% of disclosed global foreign‑exchange reserves, far ahead of any competitor. (federalreserve.gov) While there was much discussion of “de‑dollarization” after U.S. sanctions on Russia, subsequent research found that the dollar’s share in central‑bank reserves, global debt securities, and FX trading was essentially unchanged after the 2022 sanctions, and that the reserve share was still about 10% higher than in the early 1990s. (en.wikipedia.org) These are not the hallmarks of a material economic influence decline during 2022.

Socially and in terms of soft power, the U.S. continued to be described in 2022-era and subsequent analyses as the foremost great power, with worldwide economic, military, and cultural influence (“Americanization”) and the dominant share of global wealth and alliances. (en.wikipedia.org) Polling in late 2022 did register expectations among Western publics that U.S. influence might fall over the coming five years, but that is about anticipated future decline, not a demonstrated sharp drop in 2022 itself. (gmfus.org)

Taken together, objective indicators (alliance behavior, war-time coalition leadership, GDP share, reserve-currency status, and ongoing cultural reach) show continuity or even strengthening of U.S. influence in 2022, rather than a clear, measurable deterioration from its prior level. The prediction that U.S. global influence would materially decline during 2022 is therefore best judged as wrong.