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By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
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A new global survey shows confidence in President Donald Trump remains low worldwide, but a cluster of countries, including Israel, Nigeria and the Philippines, continues to stand apart.
In some regions, however, attitudes have not fallen as low as they did at the end of his first presidency, highlighting a more complex, uneven global picture.
A Pew Research Center poll of 42,151 people conducted from February 8 to May 13 across 36 countries found that just 23 percent have confidence in Trump’s global leadership, with ratings falling across much of the world. The data underscores a widening gap between U.S. global influence and public trust during a period of active geopolitical crises.
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U.S. allies, partners and regions directly impacted by American foreign policy are increasingly reassessing Washington’s reliability and leadership.
White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales told Newsweek in an emailed statement on Wednesday morning that Trump had “restored American strength at home and abroad” after what she described as “four years of Joe Biden’s weakness.”
She pointed to what the Trump administration views as tangible results, including “nine global conflicts ended,” the return of detained Americans, and action against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, as well as U.S. military operations against Iran.
Wales added that Trump’s “Peace Through Strength” approach was a “tried-and-true” doctrine that she said is “keeping America safe and deterring global threats for years to come.”
Where Support Is Strongest
The countries where Trump performs best form a clear cluster. The Philippines (68 percent), Israel (66 percent) and Nigeria (65 percent) stand out as the most supportive environments, alongside Kenya and Ghana, where confidence is also comparatively high.
These results are not random. Each reflects different underlying drivers:
- Israel has consistently delivered some of Trump’s highest international ratings, with roughly two-thirds expressing confidence in his leadership
- Nigeria and Kenya show stark internal divides in past Pew polling, particularly along religious lines, helping explain their relatively high national averages
- The Philippines, where nearly seven in 10 express confidence, has long been more receptive to assertive U.S. leadership and security partnerships
Seen together, they map a coalition of comparatively pro-Trump sentiment that cuts across regions but shares political and ideological traits.
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Where Confidence Is Lowest
At the other end of the scale, confidence collapses in parts of the Middle East and Europe. Turkey and the Palestinian territories record among the lowest levels of measured support, often in single digits.
That divide reinforces a broader pattern: countries directly affected by U.S. foreign policy decisions, especially in conflict zones, tend to exhibit the steepest levels of skepticism.
U.S. Image Also Slipping
Confidence in Trump is part of a wider shift. The survey finds a median of 37 percent globally hold a favorable view of the United States, while 57 percent view it unfavorably. In trend terms, that marks a deterioration in many countries over the past year, with particularly sharp declines in places like Indonesia, Italy and South Korea.
Decline Since Biden Era Benchmarks
In many cases, perceptions of the U.S. have fallen since 2021–2022, when Joe Biden’s presidency coincided with a rebound in global confidence. Nowhere is that clearer than in measures of reliability.
In Canada, the share of people viewing the U.S. as a reliable partner has dropped from 83 percent in 2022 to 35 percent today. Similar declines are recorded across Europe and Asia, suggesting the change is systemic rather than regional.
Not as Low as Trump’s First Term
Yet the data also adds an important wrinkle. In several Western European countries, including France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom, Trump’s current ratings, while low, are slightly higher than at the end of his first presidency.
That comparison is critical. It suggests:
- Opinion worsened significantly during Trump's first term
- It improved under Biden
- It has now declined again—but not always to previous lows
This movement points to a U-shaped trajectory rather than a straight-line collapse.
During his first term, confidence figures in key European allies fell to very low levels, often in the teens, according to early global polling from Pew. For example:
- 11 percent in Germany
- 14 percent in France
- 7 percent in Spain
- 22 percent in the U.K.
By comparison, more recent Pew-era data still shows weak support, but in many cases not quite as low. Germany now sits at around 18 percent confidence, and Spain at around 19 percent, with similarly modest uplifts seen across other Western European countries.
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Foreign Policy Driving Perceptions
The polling was conducted during a period of live geopolitical tension, including the war with Iran, which began on February 28, 2026. Across the survey, majorities in most countries disapprove of Trump’s handling of key issues.
- Iran: A median of 74 percent across 36 countries disapprove of Trump’s handling of Iran
- Gaza: A median of 76 percent disapprove, and no country surveyed records majority approval
- Tariffs: A median of 77 percent disapprove, with particularly low approval in major economies such as the U.K. (27 percent approve), Japan (15 percent) and Germany (8 percent)
- Venezuela: A median of just 22 percent approve of Trump’s handling of the crisis
Trump’s strongest issue is international humanitarian aid, though even there, support remains limited: a median of 37 percent approve, with majorities only in a handful of middle‑income countries such as the Philippines (66 percent) and Kenya (65 percent).
That consistency matters. It suggests the overall confidence figure is not detached from policy—it is being actively shaped by it.
A Broader Erosion of Trust
Beyond leadership ratings, the findings point to a deeper shift in how the U.S. is perceived globally:
- Fewer people believe it contributes to global peace
- Fewer think it considers other countries’ interests
- Confidence in its democratic model has weakened
Taken together, these indicators suggest a systemic decline in soft power, not just a cyclical dip tied to a single presidency.
What Happens Next
The emerging map of global opinion is fragmented rather than uniform. If current trends persist, the U.S. may face a more polarized international landscape—where influence depends increasingly on region, issue and alignment, rather than broad-based global trust.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Toby Meyjes and Sam Wilson.
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