Key US allies' populations have no confidence in Trump: Survey
What's the story
A recent survey by the Pew Research Center has revealed that over half of the respondents in key US allies, including France, the UK, Germany, South Korea, and Japan, have no confidence in US President Donald Trump's leadership on world affairs. The survey also found that majorities in nearly all countries polled described Trump as "arrogant" and "dangerous."
Survey details
Less than 20% confident in Trump's handling climate change
The global survey, which polled over 28,000 people across 24 countries, found that respondents in 15 countries had downgraded their ratings of the US. In Canada, France, Germany, Australia, and Spain, fewer than 20% expressed confidence in Trump's handling of climate change. Meanwhile, less than a third of respondents in the Netherlands, Italy, Japan, and Sweden were confident in his ability to manage global economic issues.
International response
'President Trump is the president of the American people'
Responding to the survey, White House spokesman Steven Cheung said, "President Trump is the president of the American people and his priority is to work on their behalf, nobody else's." Cheung claimed that a majority of Americans support Trump's "America First" agenda. However, Pew's Richard Wike noted that many people globally want a more engaged US, working collaboratively with other countries to tackle major global challenges.
Expert
'When US goes its way, it's seen more negatively'
"If you look at...surveys over the years, people in other countries often want to see the US working collaboratively, engaging in efforts with other countries to address big global challenges," said Wike. "When the US is going its own way, it's seen more negatively." For example, after taking office in January, Trump withdrew the US from the Paris climate pact. In the Pew survey, less than 20% of Canadians, French, Germans, Australians, and Spaniards trusted Trump's climate change management.
Mixed reactions
Trump finds support among European populists
Trump, however, found support among European populists. A whopping 88% of supporters of Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling Fidesz Party expressed confidence in Trump. Similarly, 56% of supporters of Germany's far-right party Alternative for Germany also backed him. Ratings for the US also improved since last year in Israel, Nigeria, and Turkey. The Pew survey was conducted between January 8 and April 26 in 24 countries spanning Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America.