Daniel Wolfram
A report from a research center disputes Trump’s boast about the United States being beloved and respected.
When Donald Trump won the presidential election in 2016, he did so on his now-infamous slogan “Make America Great Again.”
That same MAGA doctrine is still pertinent ten years later, with Trump now in his second term as president of the United States of America.
Meanwhile, Trump has taken a more aggressive approach to his foreign policy since returning to office.
It remains to be seen whether America is on the path to greatness, but the public perception of Donald Trump and the United States is faltering around the world.
Trump boasts
Speaking at a GOP-related event right before the weekend started, Donald Trump once again touted his job as president by claiming that the country is soaring and is now being respected again after four years of Democratic governance.
“Our country is respected again. We’re respected like never before. I go to meetings and everyone stands up. They didn’t stand up for our last president. They didn’t care about him. They didn’t care. They laughed at him. Xi (Jinping) respects America now. He didn’t respect us. He thought we were a bunch of fools,” Trump said from his podium.
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The statement from Trump paints a vastly different picture from what a newly released poll has to say about the perception of American hegemony. That survey tells a completely different story.
Research surveys debunk Trump’s claims
In late June, the Pew Research Center released a massive 36-country survey on the favorability of the US under President Trump. It is almost all bad news for Trump. The center polled 42,151 people across 36 countries.
According to the survey, 57% of adults surveyed stated an unfavorable view of the US in general, while only 37% had a favorable view.
Donald Trump fared even worse in the polls. Asked about their views on Trump, only 23% expressed confidence in the job the American president is doing, while an overwhelming 76% gave him a vote of “no confidence.”
Trump’s foreign policies are making the US unpopular
There are few people across the 36 countries who approve of the job Trump has done around the world. His actions in Iran and Gaza are universally disliked, with only an 18–20% approval rate. People view his foreign policy efforts as disastrous.
The European view of Trump is an especially negative standout in this survey. A median of 81% across 10 European countries expressed that they “lack confidence in him to do the right thing regarding world affairs.”
That sentiment follows how Trump has acted regarding his threat of annexing Greenland, tariffs on the EU, and the Russia-Ukraine war.
A staggering four-year change
Those numbers look even worse when compared over the last four years.
The survey reveals a steep downward trajectory in how reliable the world considers the US to be. Over a four-year period from 2022–2026, the percentage of respondents in European countries who see the US as reliable has fallen anywhere between 28–52 percentage points.
But Europe is not alone in that assessment. Back in 2022, 83% of people questioned in Canada viewed the US as a reliable partner, while only 35% hold that same opinion just four years later in 2026. This is mainly due to the ongoing trade war between the two countries and threats by Trump to make Canada the 51st state in America.
While it is mostly bad news for Trump and the United States, there are still some countries that are buying what Trump is selling. Sixty-six percent of people in Israel still have confidence in Trump, while 81% hold a favorable view of the US.
