The Daily Telegraph

Trump falls out of favour with 37 countries

- By Our Foreign Staff

THE image of the United States has deteriorat­ed sharply across the world under President Donald Trump with an overwhelmi­ng majority of people in other countries having no confidence in his ability to lead, according to a survey .

Five months into Mr Trump’s presidency, the survey of 37 nations showed US favourabil­ity ratings in the rest of the world dropping to 49 per cent from 64 per cent at the end of Barack Obama’s years in the White House.

The slump was far steeper in some of America’s closest allies, including its neighbours Mexico and Canada, and European partners such as Germany and Spain.

Mr Trump took office in January pledging to put “America first”. Since then, he has pressed ahead with plans to build a wall along his country’s border with Mexico, announced that he will pull out of the Paris climate accord and accused countries including Canada, Germany and China of unfair trade practices.

Earlier this month, on his first foreign trip as president, Mr Trump received warm welcomes in Saudi Arabia and Israel, but a cool reception from European partners, with whom he clashed over Nato spending, climate and trade.

Just 30 per cent of Mexicans said they have a favourable view of the US, down from 66 per cent. In Canada and Germany, ratings slid to 43 per cent and 35 per cent.

In many European countries ratings were comparable to the end of the George W Bush-era, whose invasion of Iraq was unpopular.

But on the plus side, 58 per cent had a positive view of Americans in general.

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