Horowitz: Trump Remains Untrusted and Unpopular Internationally

Horowitz: Trump Remains Untrusted and Unpopular Internationally

Just as the distrust of an overwhelming majority of the American public is making it difficult for people to have faith in the president’s foreign policy decisions, including his recent decision to take out Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, the fact that President Trump remains untrusted and unpopular around the globe is making winning international support for his foreign policy actions problematic at best.

A recent international survey conducted before the current escalating conflict in Iran documents that the highly negative perceptions of President Trump, which have been present since he initially took office, have not abated. “Across 32 countries surveyed by Pew Research Center, a median of 64% say they do not have confidence in Trump to do the right thing in world affairs, while just 29% express confidence in the American leader.”

President Trump is particularly unpopular with the public of our traditional American allies. “Roughly three-in-four or more lack confidence in Trump in Germany, Sweden, France, Spain, and the Netherlands,” reports Pew.

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President Trump receives markedly more negative ratings than his predecessor Barack Obama, who was favorably perceived in most nations around the globe. 

There is some gain in support for President Trump among conservative or right-wing residents of certain countries, but this was insufficient to do more than marginally boost his over-all ratings.

The other Western leaders tested, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, are far more trusted around the globe than President Trump.

Tellingly, both Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are slightly more trusted than our president.

These highly negative perceptions of President Trump reduce the United States’ soft power and in cases such as our stand-off with Iran, create additional roadblocks to maintaining and gaining support from allies. 

The costs of having a leader that most people abroad don’t trust are mounting.  Allies no longer look to us for leadership and our foes, despite our recent killing of Soleimani, increasingly disregard the threats and bluster.  For a leader, credibility once squandered is difficult to earn back.  A less trusted United States makes for a less safe, more uncertain world. So far, unfortunately, that is President Trump’s singular contribution to American foreign policy.

 

Rob Horowitz is a strategic and communications consultant who provides general consulting, public relations, direct mail services and polling for national and state issue organizations, various non-profits, businesses, and elected officials and candidates. He is an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of Rhode Island.