Confidence in U.S. leadership has fluctuated significantly over the past two decades, closely tracking changes in the occupant of the White House. As our chart, based on data from past and present editions of Pew’s Global Attitudes Survey shows, confidence in President Donald Trump among key U.S. allies has mostly been low, although it has edged up slightly compared to the end of his first term. Interestingly, Trump’s current ratings are broadly in line with those recorded for George W. Bush toward the end of his presidency.
Bush’s low standing in many Western European countries at the time was largely shaped by opposition to the Iraq War and broader concerns about U.S. foreign policy. By contrast, confidence in U.S. leadership rebounded sharply under Barack Obama, who consistently received high approval ratings across G7 countries. While views of Joe Biden were also relatively positive, they never reached Obama era highs and deteriorated gradually over time. Overall, the data highlights how strongly international perceptions of the United States tend to shift with changes in leadership and foreign policy direction.
