Fresh from the G-7 summit, where allied democracies meet to discuss global economic policies, global polling shows an increasing number of people in U.S. allied countries have low confidence in President Trump and his administration.
According to a Pew Research Center survey, more than half of people in key U.S. allied countries have no confidence in President Trump's leadership in world affairs. This includes close allies like France, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Japan, all of which have at least a 60% "no-confidence" level.
"This whole survey is really in some ways about the United States' soft power and where we stand in terms of being able to persuade countries to do the things that we want them to do," explained David Jackson, Professor of Political Science at Bowling Green State University. "So that's why it's relevant."
Canada, Mexico, and Sweden have especially high "no confidence" opinions of the U.S. leadership. And when it comes to economic power, China now outranks the U.S. in the perceptions of survey respondents, compared to 2023.
"The statistics are one thing. We know who the biggest economy is. It's the United States. But in terms of where the future is, there's real competition between the two countries," said Jackson.
Most people surveyed also described President Trump as "arrogant" and "dangerous." However, Jackson noted that "even among people who don't like what Trump is doing and don't like his personality, still perceive of him as being a strong leader. So that's definitely for President Trump, you know, a silver lining in what are generally pretty negative findings."
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The findings of the global survey mirror President Trump's first term, when a previous Pew Research survey found international confidence in the U.S. plunged.
"Even the most isolationist person has to acknowledge that the United States physically cannot separate itself from the world. The oceans aren't as effective as they used to be keeping us away from what goes on in the rest of the planet that we share," Jackson said.
The declining international perception of the U.S. and its leadership could have significant implications for the country's global influence and ability to achieve its foreign policy goals.
But perceptions, like administrations, change.
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