Full Breakdown
Global Disapproval of President Trump Hits Historic Lows, Pew Finds
6/24/2026, 2:18:40 AM
Global Survey Shows Record Low Favorability for President Trump
A Pew Research Center poll of 42,151 adults in 36 nations conducted in the spring found confidence in President Donald Trump at its lowest in two decades of Pew polling. Respondents trusted Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin more than Trump. In Canada, only 20 % say Trump will “do the right thing” in global affairs, down from 27 % at the end of George W. Bush’s second term.
Shifts in U.S. Image Across Administrations
Public opinion rose sharply under Obama, fell after Trump’s first term, rebounded to 77 % under President Joe Biden in 2021, then slipped again. The survey notes Canadians now hold the most unfavorable view of the United States in over twenty years.
Country-Level Confidence Figures
Highest confidence appears in the Philippines (68 %). The lowest is in the West Bank and East Jerusalem (4 %). Israel remains strongly supportive, with over 80 % viewing the United States favorably. Among far-right supporters, approval fell from 60 % to 31 % in Greece and from 62 % to 48 % in the United Kingdom; only Hungary retains a majority of far-right confidence.
Diplomatic Consequences
The shrinking goodwill reservoir may curb U.S. diplomatic leverage, especially on the proposed annexation of Greenland, tariff policies and the Gaza conflict. Critics attribute the negative sentiment to these actions, noting that Trump’s threats to annex Greenland, aggressive tariffs and the Gaza war are primary drivers of the worldwide disapproval.
Pew Research Director’s Assessment
Richard Wike, Pew’s director of global attitudes research, called the results “unprecedented opposition to Trump’s approach of putting up barriers between the United States and the rest of the world” and said the poll raises “open questions” about whether the historic goodwill reservoir can be restored.
Outlook and Data Gaps
The survey was conducted largely before Hungary’s recent election of Viktor Orbán’s successor, leaving limited insight into post-Orbán attitudes. Ongoing monitoring will be needed to see if the identified “reservoir of goodwill” can recover under future U.S. administrations.
Verbatim Quotes
“There’s exceptions here and there, but they’re largely negative.” — Richard Wike, Pew Research Center
“We’ve always assumed there’s a reservoir of goodwill toward the United States in a lot of places that can help America’s image come back after periods in which it’s pretty negative,” — Richard Wike, Pew Research Center
“The question over time is whether that reservoir runs out. Do people kind of lose faith in the U.S. because of actions it’s taken in the world, or because of perceptions about the health of its democracy? Those are open questions.” — Richard Wike, Pew Research Center