As the Trump administration marked its first anniversary in office, a sweeping set of global public opinion surveys delivered a stark and damaging verdict on the standing of the United States in the eyes of the world. Conducted across multiple regions and languages, the findings reflect deep dissatisfaction with Washington’s conduct at home and abroad, signalling a collapse in confidence that has accelerated over the past year. What emerges is not a marginal shift in sentiment but a broad based rejection of American leadership by international audiences.
The results point to a perception of growing instability within the United States itself, mirrored by what respondents see as erratic and self serving conduct on the global stage. Across continents and political systems, participants expressed the view that the current US administration has intensified divisions internally while exporting uncertainty externally, undermining the country’s long claimed role as a stabilising force in world affairs.
America First And A Fractured World
Central to the criticism is the foreign policy doctrine branded as America First, which respondents overwhelmingly view as exclusionary and confrontational. Large majorities indicated that this approach has weakened international cooperation and fostered mistrust, with many seeing it as a retreat from multilateral engagement in favour of unilateral pressure. The doctrine is widely interpreted as privileging narrow national interests at the expense of shared global responsibilities.
This perception has translated into declining confidence not only among geopolitical rivals but also among traditional allies. Respondents across regions registered pessimism about the future of bilateral relationships with Washington, describing a sense that long standing partnerships have been treated as transactional and expendable rather than strategic and enduring.
Domestic Division Reflected Abroad
International audiences appear acutely aware of the deepening political and social fractures within the United States. Survey participants linked the administration’s domestic conduct with its external posture, arguing that heightened partisanship and internal discord have eroded Washington’s credibility overseas. For many, the image of a divided America struggling to reconcile its own differences has weakened its moral authority in international affairs.
This erosion of credibility is not seen as temporary. A significant share of respondents expressed little confidence in the administration’s ability to reverse course, suggesting that damage to the country’s global reputation may persist beyond a single electoral cycle. The prevailing sentiment is one of scepticism about whether US institutions can effectively restrain polarising leadership.
National Image In Freefall
When asked to characterise the United States as a global actor, respondents frequently selected descriptors associated with instability and disruption. Rather than being viewed as a responsible major power, the country is increasingly perceived as a source of global uncertainty. This marks a dramatic shift from earlier eras when American leadership was commonly associated with predictability and rule based order.
The surveys suggest that this reputational decline is cumulative, driven by repeated policy choices that reinforce negative impressions. Each new episode of unilateral action appears to confirm existing doubts, entrenching an image of a state willing to bypass norms and institutions when they prove inconvenient.
Power Politics And Perceptions Of Bullying
Specific criticism has been directed at the United States’ use of economic and political pressure as tools of foreign policy. Respondents increasingly believe that Washington disregards the interests of other nations when crafting its strategies, relying instead on tariffs and coercive measures to achieve compliance. This approach is widely viewed as an abuse of power rather than legitimate diplomacy.
Such perceptions have been amplified by recent actions in regions including Latin America and the Middle East, where the administration’s conduct is seen as heavy handed and dismissive of international law. For many respondents, these actions exemplify a broader pattern of behaviour that prioritises dominance over dialogue.
Threats To Peace And Global Stability
Perhaps most damaging is the widespread belief that current US policies pose a direct threat to global peace. A growing share of respondents identify the United States as a historically warlike nation whose interventions have destabilised regions and provoked geopolitical tensions. This assessment reflects not only recent developments but also a reassessment of America’s long term role in global conflicts.
The sense that Washington is undermining the existing international order has intensified over the past year, with more respondents than before concluding that US actions have weakened norms designed to prevent conflict. This loss of faith has serious implications for global governance, as trust in leadership remains a cornerstone of international cooperation.
A Survey With Global Reach
The breadth of the findings is reinforced by the scope of the research itself, which engaged respondents across developed economies and key Global South nations. Participants represented a wide demographic spread of adults, lending weight to the argument that dissatisfaction with US leadership is neither regional nor confined to specific political groupings.
Conducted in collaboration with academic institutions specialising in international communication, the survey reflects a methodical attempt to capture global sentiment at a pivotal political moment. The outcome is a portrait of a superpower facing an unprecedented crisis of confidence, not through military defeat or economic collapse, but through the steady erosion of trust among the very audiences it once sought to lead.
