U.S. Image Declines in Many Nations Amid Low Confidence in Trump, New Survey Reveals

U.S. Image Declines in Many Nations Amid Low Confidence in Trump, New Survey Reveals

RMN News Report Highlights

• U.S. Favorability Declined: Overall ratings of the United States have decreased in 15 nations since last spring, with drops of 20 percentage points or more in Mexico, Sweden, Poland, and Canada.

• Low Confidence in Trump: More than half of respondents in 19 of the 24 surveyed countries express a lack of confidence in President Trump’s leadership of world affairs.

• Trump’s Perceived Traits: While a median of 80% describe Trump as “arrogant” and about two-thirds as “dangerous,” majorities in 18 countries consider him a “strong leader”.

• Lowest Confidence on Climate Change: Trump receives his lowest overall marks for handling climate change, with only a median of 21% expressing confidence.

RMN News World Report
June 12, 2025

Washington, D.C. – June 11, 2025 – A new analysis by the Pew Research Center indicates a significant decline in the United States’ image across many nations, coupled with widespread low confidence in President Donald Trump’s leadership on world affairs.

The report, titled “U.S. Image Declines in Many Nations Amid Low Confidence in Trump,” draws on nationally representative surveys of 28,333 adults across 24 countries, not including the U.S.. The surveys were conducted from January 8 to April 26, 2025, with fieldwork generally beginning after Trump’s second-term inauguration on January 20.

Key findings from the survey include:

• Overall Negative Ratings for Trump: President Donald Trump receives mostly negative ratings internationally. More than half of respondents in 19 of the 24 surveyed countries express a lack of confidence in his leadership of world affairs. This trend marks a generally lower confidence in Trump compared to President Biden’s ratings in 2024, with Trump receiving lower marks in 13 countries and higher ratings in five.
• Declining U.S. Favorability: Overall ratings of the United States have decreased in 15 nations since the spring of 2024, with drops of 20 percentage points or more noted in Mexico, Sweden, Poland, and Canada. However, views of the U.S. have become more favorable in Israel, Nigeria, and Turkey.
• Confidence in Handling International Issues: Trump generally receives low ratings for his ability to handle major international issues.
  • His lowest overall marks are on climate change, with a median of only 21% expressing confidence.
  • A median of 67% lack confidence in his ability to handle global economic problems.
  • In most NATO allies surveyed (9 out of 11), roughly six-in-ten or more adults lack confidence in his handling of the Russia-Ukraine war, with Hungary and Greece being exceptions.
  • In East Asian allies like Japan and South Korea, and in Australia, there is little confidence in Trump’s ability to manage U.S. relations with China.
  • Confidence in Trump on U.S. immigration policies leans negative, with a median of 36% expressing confidence.
  • Conversely, about six-in-ten Israelis (62%) have confidence in Trump to deal with the conflict between Israel and its neighbors, a view especially positive among Israelis on the ideological right.
• Perceptions of Trump’s Characteristics: When asked about Trump’s personal characteristics, a median of 80% across the 24 nations describe him as “arrogant”. About two-thirds also consider him “dangerous” and believe he is “not honest”. Still, majorities in 18 countries consider Trump a “strong leader,” a perception that has increased in many nations since 2017.
• Ideological and Gender Divides: Views on Trump often differ sharply along ideological and partisan lines. People who identify as being on the right or have favorable views of right-wing populist parties in Europe tend to view Trump more favorably. Significant gender gaps also exist in 17 nations, with men more likely than women to express confidence in Trump’s global leadership. For instance, in Israel, 93% of those on the right express confidence in Trump, compared to 21% on the left.
• Comparison with Other World Leaders: Among the four world leaders surveyed (Trump, Macron, Putin, Xi), French President Emmanuel Macron receives the highest ratings, with a median of 46% expressing confidence. Ratings for Trump are somewhat more positive than for Chinese President Xi Jinping, while Russian President Vladimir Putin receives the lowest marks, with only 16% expressing confidence. People in France, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom tend to have less confidence in Trump than they did in Biden last year, though they rate Trump more highly now than during his first term.
• U.S. Democracy and Economic Power: Respondents are divided on the health of democracy in the U.S., with a median of 50% believing it works well. They also perceive strong partisan conflicts in the U.S., with a median of 62% saying these conflicts are strong or very strong. Regarding economic power, China is named the world’s top economy in 12 nations, while the U.S. is considered the top economy in eight. The share of the public naming the U.S. as the top economy has declined in eight nations since 2023.

This analysis, which is part of Pew Research Center’s two-decade-long tracking of international attitudes toward the U.S. and its presidents, highlights significant shifts in global public opinion following Trump’s second-term inauguration.