A recent analysis by the Pew Research Center has revealed a significant decline in confidence regarding President Donald Trump’s leadership among participants from 24 countries worldwide, including regions spanning North America, Europe, the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America.
The survey, which gathered feedback from 28,333 adults between January 8 and April 26, 2025, showed that more than half of respondents in 19 of these countries expressed a lack of confidence in Trump’s handling of world affairs.
In addition to general sentiments about his leadership, attitudes towards Trump’s capability in managing specific international issues were similarly bleak. Majorities of the surveyed populations showed little or no confidence in him regarding critical matters such as immigration, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, relations between the U.S. and China, global economic challenges, tensions between Israel and its neighboring states, and the pressing issue of climate change.
When respondents were asked to describe Trump’s personal characteristics, the majority painted him in a negative light, associating him with traits such as arrogance and danger. Conversely, a significant number noted that he exhibits strong leadership qualities, highlighting a stark contrast in public perception.
The disparity in views toward Trump is often pronounced across ideological lines, with right-leaning respondents more favorable in their assessments compared to those on the left. People who identify with right-wing populist parties, particularly in Europe, tended to provide Trump with a more positive evaluation.
Furthermore, this analysis pointed to a decline in overall ratings for the United States in 15 of the 24 surveyed countries since the previous spring, with notable drops of 20 percentage points or more occurring in Mexico, Sweden, Poland, and Canada.
However, not all countries showed negative trends; an increase in favorable views towards the U.S. was observed in Israel, Nigeria, and Turkey. These countries are among five nations where over 50% of respondents expressed confidence in Trump’s ability to handle global affairs.
Fieldwork for this survey commenced shortly after Trump’s second-term inauguration on January 20 and predominantly occurred after his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on February 28, but before his global tariffs announcement on April 2.
The analysis further delves into various dimensions of how people perceive the United States and President Trump specifically, shedding light on historical trends observed over two decades in Pew Research’s tracking of international public opinion about the U.S. and its leaders.
Looking at the comparisons between how Trump is perceived internationally versus his predecessor, Joe Biden, the report outlined that Trump currently receives lower ratings than Biden in 13 countries, while five countries rated him higher than Biden. In six nations, there were no significant discernible differences.
Long-term trends from nations such as France, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom reveal that confidence in Trump is notably lower than it was in Biden last year, although some nations have rated him more favorably compared to his first term.
The tendency to view Trump more positively varies significantly between political affiliations, with individuals on the right expressing higher confidence than those on the left. For instance, a staggering 93% of Israeli respondents identifying as right-wing expressed trust in Trump, contrasting sharply with just 21% of left-leaning respondents.
Support for Trump also correlates with opinions on right-wing populist parties across Europe. For instance, in Germany, 56% of respondents having a favorable view of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party also expressed confidence in Trump, while only 8% of those who view AfD unfavorably felt similarly.
Similar patterns emerged among supporters of right-leaning parties in various regions, including prominent figures such as Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, Javier Milei in Argentina, and Yoon Suk Yeol in South Korea.
Gender disparities in opinion are also present, with men generally exhibiting more confidence in Trump’s leadership than women across 17 nations surveyed.
The survey’s findings illustrate Trump’s low approval ratings across significant international issues, with a median score indicating that he has more trust on U.S. immigration policies, though responses still leaned negative. A median of 36% of respondents expressed confidence in Trump’s handling of immigration, while a sizable 61% voiced little or no confidence.
Particularly negative feedback was noted in Mexico, where an overwhelming 87% of those surveyed reported having no confidence in Trump regarding immigration policies.
Trump’s lowest ratings were registered concerning climate change, where only 21% of the median expressed confidence in his capabilities while 72% noted a lack of confidence.
In terms of addressing the Russia-Ukraine conflict, approximately six-in-ten respondents from 11 NATO allies surveyed conveyed a distrust in Trump, aside from Hungary, where 54% expressed confidence, and Greece, where opinions were divided.
Among U.S. allies in East Asia, perceptions were similarly low regarding Trump’s handling of relations with China, with a majority in Japan and South Korea expressing doubts. Notably, 77% of Australians reported lacking confidence in Trump’s ability to manage these crucial relations.
On global economic matters, a median of 67% of respondents conveyed doubts about Trump’s aptitude, coinciding with significant tariff announcements made shortly after the survey was conducted.
Confidence in Trump’s handling of the ongoing conflict between Israel and its neighbors exhibited a more favorable response, particularly among right-leaning Israelis, with around 62% in favor of his leadership, compared to 21% on the left.
Conversely, negativity toward Trump’s handling of the conflict was pronounced in Turkey and Mexico, where an alarming 87% and 85%, respectively, reported lacking confidence in him.
When the survey participants were prompted to think about how they perceive Trump’s personal traits, a striking 80% of the median across the 24 nations described him as “arrogant.”
Additionally, two-thirds believed that he is a
image source from：https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2025/06/11/us-image-declines-in-many-nations-amid-low-confidence-in-trump/
