HOW THE WORLD SEES AMERICA
"The opinion of the world is important to the security of our nation."
— Benjamin Franklin
UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, Greece, and China refused to send warships to Hormuz. Japan, South Korea, and France still “reviewing.” EU foreign policy chief Kallas: “No appetite. Nobody wants to go actively in this war.”
Sources: Euronews, Time, NPR, CNBC, Al Jazeera • Mar 18, 2026
Click any country to explore its sentiment arc from Obama through Trump 2.0, plus trade and diplomatic impacts.
America's closest allies saw the steepest declines. Sweden dropped 28 points, Mexico 32 points, and Canada 20 points in a single year — driven by tariffs, annexation rhetoric, and Greenland threats.
Global opinion follows a clear pattern: high under Obama, sharp decline under Trump 1.0, Biden recovery, then Trump 2.0 collapse. Many countries are now at or below their Trump 1.0 lows.
Of 24 countries surveyed by Pew, only Turkey (+7), Nigeria (+6), and Israel (+6) showed increased favorability in 2025. Every other country declined or held flat.
Despite imposing the highest average tariffs since 1934 (27%), the US trade deficit barely budged: $901.5B in 2025 vs. $903.5B in 2024. Trade simply shifted to other countries.
Germany's chancellor prioritized "independence from the USA." Japan and South Korea are exploring a free trade agreement with China. NATO allies pledged up to 5% GDP defense spending.
The dollar (DXY index) fell 10.7% in the first half of 2025 — its worst 6-month performance in 50 years. Central banks are diversifying into gold, Canadian and Australian dollars.
Trump asked 7+ countries to send warships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war. Zero committed. UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, Greece, and China refused outright. Japan, South Korea, and France still "reviewing." When asked if he'd leave NATO over it, Trump said: "It's certainly something that we should think about. I don't need Congress for that decision."
Primary source: Pew Research Center Global Attitudes Survey (2015–2025). Metric: "% with favorable view of the United States." Surveys conducted January–May of each year across 24–35 countries.
Secondary sources: Gallup World Poll (US Leadership Approval), Ipsos Global Reputation Survey (2025), and Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index.
Trade data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Tax Foundation Tariff Tracker, Yale Budget Lab, Congressional Research Service.
Diplomatic data: Council on Foreign Relations, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, European Council on Foreign Relations, published news sources (cited per country).
Where exact favorability figures were not published for a specific era, estimates are derived from regional trends and marked with (~). All commercial and diplomatic impacts cover January 2025 – March 2026.