What a New Report Reveals About the Disdain for Trump
Donald Trump has built much of his political identity around the image of a leader who commands respect beyond America’s borders. A sweeping new international survey, however, presents a far less flattering picture. As we examine the findings, we see a president facing deep skepticism abroad, weakening confidence in American leadership and growing opposition to several of his most consequential foreign policies.
The report does not directly measure “disdain.” It measures confidence, approval, favorability and perceptions of American reliability. Yet the scale and consistency of the negative responses reveal something more serious than ordinary political disagreement. In numerous countries, large majorities do not trust Trump’s leadership, do not approve of his handling of global crises and no longer view the United States as a dependable international partner.
The findings come from the Pew Research Center’s 2026 Global Attitudes Survey, which questioned 42,151 adults across 36 countries between February 8 and May 13. The nations surveyed included major American allies, trading partners and strategically important countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.
Global Confidence in Donald Trump Has Fallen Sharply
The clearest finding concerns confidence in Trump’s ability to manage world affairs. Across the countries surveyed, a median of only 23% of adults expressed confidence in his international leadership. Pew found that confidence had declined in 16 of the 24 countries where year-over-year comparisons were available. Not one of those countries recorded a significant increase in positive attitudes toward him.
That pattern matters because it extends beyond countries traditionally hostile to Trump or the United States. Negative assessments were also recorded among populations in countries that depend heavily on Washington for trade, security or diplomatic support.
We can therefore distinguish the results from a temporary burst of partisan criticism. The survey captures public opinion across different political systems, economic conditions and cultural backgrounds. Although the intensity of opposition differs from country to country, the overall direction is strikingly consistent.
Trump received some of his strongest ratings in the Philippines, Israel, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana. Even within those countries, however, views were often sharply divided along religious, ideological or ethnic lines. In Nigeria, for example, 87% of Christians expressed confidence in Trump, compared with 33% of Muslims. Confidence among Nigerian Muslims had fallen by 41 percentage points from the previous year.
The division in Israel was similarly pronounced. Pew found that 79% of Jewish Israelis expressed confidence in Trump, compared with only 13% of Arab Israelis. These gaps show that favorable national averages can conceal profound disagreements within individual societies.
America’s Reputation Is Declining Alongside Trump’s
The survey does not merely suggest that foreign publics dislike the president. It indicates that Trump’s international image may be affecting how people perceive the United States itself.
Across the 36 countries, a median of 37% held a favorable opinion of the United States, while 57% viewed the country unfavorably. Positive ratings declined significantly in 15 of the 24 nations where Pew had comparable data from the previous year. In Canada, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, South Africa and the United Kingdom, favorable views were at or near historic lows in Pew’s long-running surveys.
The decline is particularly significant because presidential reputations can change faster than attitudes toward an entire country. A foreign leader may be unpopular while the nation he represents retains cultural influence, economic credibility and institutional trust. Pew’s findings suggest that this separation is becoming harder to maintain.
In Canada, the percentage of adults describing the United States as a reliable partner fell from 83% in 2022 to 35% in 2026. Similar declines appeared among several of America’s partners in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
The findings suggest that many people are no longer judging Trump’s conduct as an isolated political performance. They are connecting his decisions to broader questions about whether Washington respects alliances, honors commitments and considers the interests of other nations.
Only a median of 32% believed the United States takes the interests of countries like theirs into account when making foreign-policy decisions. Among NATO countries included in the survey, the numbers were especially low. Just 10% of respondents in France and 8% in Sweden said the United States considered their country’s interests.
Trump’s Handling of Iran Drew the Strongest Opposition
Foreign-policy decisions appear to be central to Trump’s international decline. Pew asked respondents about his handling of eight major global issues, including Iran, Gaza, immigration, tariffs, humanitarian aid, Venezuela, Greenland and the Russia-Ukraine war.
The harshest response involved Iran. Across the countries surveyed, a median of 74% disapproved of Trump’s handling of the conflict. Israel was the only country where a clear majority approved, with 73% supporting his approach. Kenya and Nigeria each recorded 51% approval.
Opposition was particularly intense in countries geographically or politically close to Iran. Only 21% of respondents in Pakistan approved of Trump’s approach, while approval stood at 5% in Turkey and among Palestinians surveyed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Because much of the polling occurred after the United States and Israel launched military action against Iran on February 28, the results captured public opinion during an active period of conflict. Pew conducted a separate statistical analysis and concluded that attitudes toward the United States became more negative in some countries as the war and the survey progressed.
That does not prove the conflict alone caused the broader collapse in confidence. It does, however, show how military decisions can shape public perceptions of both an administration and the country it represents.
Tariffs Have Alienated Major American Trading Partners
Trump’s tariff strategy also received poor international reviews. Kenya was the only country surveyed where a majority approved of his handling of tariffs.
Approval was far lower among several of America’s largest trading partners. Only 27% in the United Kingdom, 18% in India, 17% in Canada, 15% in Japan, 14% in South Korea, 11% in Mexico and 8% in Germany supported Trump’s tariff policies.
These findings expose a central problem in Trump’s economic nationalism. Tariffs may be presented domestically as tools for protecting American workers, pressuring foreign governments or rebuilding manufacturing. Abroad, they are frequently experienced as direct threats to industries, consumers and employment.
When those economic pressures are combined with doubts about American reliability, we see how trade disputes can become diplomatic disputes. Countries may continue doing business with the United States while becoming less confident in its leadership and more interested in alternative economic relationships.
The United States Is No Longer Widely Seen as a Stabilizing Force
Another major warning appears in the survey’s findings about peace and security. Only a median of 35% believed the United States contributes a great deal or a fair amount to global peace and stability.
Views varied considerably. Majorities in the Philippines, Kenya, and Israel continued to see the United States as a stabilizing force. In contrast, only 20% in Argentina, 19% in the Netherlands, 14% in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and 10% in Turkey agreed.
The trend is more troubling than the overall percentage. Among the 22 countries with comparable data from 2023, the share of people who viewed the United States as contributing to global stability fell in 19. The decline exceeded 30 percentage points in Sweden, the Netherlands, Poland, Canada and Australia.
These are not all ideological opponents of Washington. Several are longstanding allies. Their changing attitudes suggest that the damage is reaching countries whose governments have traditionally worked closely with American administrations.
Concerns About American Democracy Are Becoming Global
The report also found widespread doubts about whether the United States respects the personal freedoms of its own citizens.
Across the 36 countries, a median of 39% said the American government respects individual liberties, while 56% said it does not. In 12 of the 13 countries where comparisons with 2021 were available, the percentage expressing confidence in America’s respect for personal freedom had fallen by double digits.
Pew recorded historically low ratings on this question in countries including Australia, Brazil, Chile, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland, South Africa, South Korea and Sweden.
Foreign publics do not experience American politics in the same way American voters do. They often judge the country through presidential statements, military actions, immigration policies, diplomatic disputes and highly visible conflicts involving democratic institutions.
As a result, concerns about Trump are no longer confined to whether foreign audiences like his personality. They increasingly involve whether the United States still represents the political values it has historically promoted abroad.
Trump Is Also Losing Ground Among Americans
International criticism would be easier for Trump’s supporters to dismiss if his position at home remained exceptionally strong. Separate Pew surveys, however, have documented declining domestic approval and weakening confidence in several of his personal and political qualities.
In an April 2026 survey of 5,103 American adults, Trump’s job approval stood at 34%, the lowest level recorded during his second term at that point. Only 38% said the phrase “keeps his promises” described him well, down from 51% shortly after his 2024 reelection.
Support remained much stronger among Republicans, but even that support had softened. Republican approval of Trump fell from 73% in January to 68% in April. Among his 2024 voters, approval declined from 95% during the earliest days of his second term to 78% by April 2026.
An earlier January survey found that just 27% of Americans supported all or most of Trump’s policies, down from 35% the previous year. Fifty-two percent supported only a few or none of his plans. The decline came entirely among Republicans, whose support for all or most of his policies fell from 67% to 56%.
These domestic numbers do not mean Trump has lost control of his political base. Most Republicans still approve of him, and his strongest supporters remain intensely loyal. They do show, however, that international rejection is developing alongside measurable erosion at home.
What the Report Truly Reveals About Trump’s Global Standing
When we assess the complete survey, the central conclusion is difficult to avoid. Trump remains capable of winning admiration from specific religious, nationalist and right-leaning constituencies, but his broader international image is overwhelmingly negative.
The report reveals more than personal hostility toward one political figure. It documents declining trust in American reliability, growing opposition to American foreign policy and weakening confidence in the democratic values associated with the United States.
We should also resist exaggerating the findings. A survey cannot tell us what every respondent personally feels about Trump, and low confidence is not identical to hatred or disdain. Public opinion can change quickly when wars end, economies improve, or diplomatic relationships recover.
Still, the direction of the data is unmistakable. Trump’s leadership is receiving poor reviews across much of the world, while the country he leads is increasingly viewed as unpredictable, self-interested and less committed to the concerns of its partners.
For a president who has repeatedly emphasized strength, respect and international dominance, that may be the report’s most politically damaging message. The world is not simply debating Trump’s decisions. In many places, it is losing confidence in the United States because of them.
