World sees Trump as ‘arrogant’, ‘dangerous’ as ratings sink: Poll
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A new Pew Research survey reveals a sharp decline in global confidence in Trump’s leadership, with negative views rising in Mexico, Poland, and Canada.
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US President Donald Trump speaks as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, on April 17, 2025 (AP)
A comprehensive Pew Research Trump survey on global opinion of Trump 2025 reveals that confidence in the US president has declined sharply in countries around the world.
Out of more than 28,000 people surveyed across 24 countries, only 34% expressed any confidence in Donald Trump to "do the right thing in world affairs," while 62% said they had little or no confidence in his leadership.
Respondents widely described Trump as “arrogant” and “dangerous", with only a minority labeling him “honest.”
In fact, two-thirds of participants across all countries rejected the idea that Trump was honest, although the same proportion viewed him as a “strong leader", a characteristic more favorably perceived among right-leaning voters.
US image declines as well
Polling people in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, "Israel", Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom, the survey revealed that the US image abroad had worsened over the past year in more than half of the countries mentioned. In Mexico, Poland, Sweden, and Canada, favorability ratings fell by over 20% points. In the UK, confidence in the US president dropped from 54% to 50%.
In several allied nations, including Germany, France, and Australia, majorities described their views of Trump with outright distrust. Only five reported majority confidence in Trump: Nigeria (79%), Kenya (74%), "Israel" (69%), Hungary (53%), and India (52%).
In contrast, in 19 other countries, including key NATO and EU members, negative perceptions dominated.
In Mexico, a staggering 91% of respondents said they had "not too much" or "no confidence at all" in Trump, followed by 85% in Sweden, 81% in Germany, and 80% in both Spain and Turkey.
The UK mirrored this trend with 47% expressing no confidence and another 15% reporting little confidence.
Trump’s leadership seen as 'arrogant', 'dangerous'
The Pew Research Trump survey found that public confidence in Trump worldwide is the weakest when it comes to specific global issues. Confidence was lowest regarding the climate crisis, with only 21% believing Trump could manage it effectively.
His handling of US immigration was seen as the strongest area, yet even there, only 36% expressed confidence.
Clear majorities in nine of the eleven NATO member countries surveyed reported a lack of trust in Trump’s handling of the Russia–Ukraine war, a central issue for transatlantic relations.
Distrust extended to Trump’s stance on US-China relations, with 77% of Australians and majorities in Japan and South Korea saying they had little faith in his approach.
When asked about Trump's personal traits, 80% described him as “arrogant", and roughly two-thirds labeled him “dangerous".
Fewer than half believed he “understands complex problems,” is “diplomatic”, or is “well-qualified to be president.” Still, the perception of him as a “strong leader” persisted, even in countries with overwhelmingly negative views.
Far-right support drives positive views in few countries
Despite the overall decline in the international view of US leadership, Trump continues to enjoy strong support from far-right political groups. In "Israel", 93% of right-leaning respondents voiced confidence in him, compared to just 21% of left-leaning participants.
In Hungary, 88% of those who support the ruling Fidesz party also support Trump, while only 27% of Fidesz opponents do. Similarly, in Germany, 56% of AfD supporters expressed confidence in Trump, in stark contrast to 8% of non-supporters. This trend holds in Poland (Law & Justice party supporters) and the UK (Reform party voters), both at 62%.
However, in other European countries, support among far-right voters was less pronounced.
In the Netherlands, only 43% of PVV voters expressed confidence, while in France (National Rally) and Sweden (Sweden Democrats), the figures stood at 39% and 31%, respectively.
Global gender divide in perceptions of Trump
The Pew survey also found that men consistently view Trump more favorably than women. In 17 of the 24 countries polled, the gender divide was stark.
In Sweden, just 5% of women expressed confidence in Trump, compared to 24% of men. Similar gaps were seen in the UK (28% vs. 45%), France (16% vs. 28%), and Spain (15% vs. 23%).
Overall, public perceptions of the US image abroad have declined in 15 countries since last year, remained stable in six, and improved only in two: Nigeria and Turkey, as well as the Israeli entity. Across all surveyed nations, just 49% held a favorable view of the US, matching the 49% who viewed the country unfavorably.
While half of the respondents believed American democracy was working well, 46% disagreed, highlighting broader skepticism not just of Trump, but of US political governance more broadly.
