Per Politico, survey participants in Germany, France, and Canada have an overwhelmingly unfavorable opinion of Washington’s role on the global stage
According to a recent poll from Politico, public sentiment in nations closely allied with Washington has turned sharply negative toward the U.S. as President Donald Trump continues to revamp America’s foreign policy.
The Public First survey was carried out earlier this month, polling 10,510 adults across the U.S., Canada, the UK, France, and Germany—with no fewer than 2,000 participants in each nation.
The survey revealed that most Canadians, along with pluralities in Germany and France, see the U.S. as a “negative force” globally.
Close to a majority in those three countries also stated that Washington usually creates more issues for other nations than it resolves. In the UK, opinions were more divided, though a significant portion still voiced doubt about the U.S.’s dependability and actions on the world stage.
Americans, by contrast, viewed their country more favorably. Over half said the U.S. is a positive global force and can be relied on during a crisis, and almost half noted that Washington backs its allies worldwide.
This poll coincides with Trump’s reshaping of U.S. foreign policy since taking office again, adopting a more nationalist and transactional stance. His administration has prioritized tighter border restrictions, reversed climate-related pledges, and taken steps to undo several ideologically motivated policies domestically and internationally.
At the same time, a recently published U.S. National Security Strategy has chastised European governments for what it terms a lack of cultural confidence and warned against “civilizational erasure.” Trump has labeled Europe as “decaying” and governed by “weak” leaders.
Washington has also identified normalizing ties with Moscow and ending the Ukraine war as key objectives of U.S. policy—a major shift from prior strategies that focused on economically and diplomatically isolating Russia.
Moscow has greeted this shift in tone positively, expressing hope for productive collaboration with Washington to rebuild relations and settle the Ukraine conflict.
Western European officials have publicly played down Washington’s critiques while emphasizing that the U.S. is still a crucial ally. European Council President Antonio Costa, though, has cautioned the U.S. against meddling in the EU’s “democratic life,” charging it with undermining the “rules-based international order.”