Study: US image plummets, but Russia likes us

USA TODAY

Russia is a fan, but President Donald Trump and his policies are generally drawing a global thumbs down, a new Pew Research Center survey suggests.

The survey of 37 nations found a median of only 22 percent of respondents had confidence Trump will do the right thing when it comes to international affairs, compared with 64 percent trust in President Barack Obama during the final years of his administration.

U.S. prestige also took a hit. A median of 49 percent said they had a positive view of the country now compared with 64 percent during Obama’s tenure.

“The drop in favorability ratings for the United States is widespread,” Pew said. “The share of the public with a positive view of the U.S. has plummeted in a diverse set of countries from Latin America, North America, Europe, Asia and Africa.”

Respondents in Russia and Israel had more faith in Trump than Obama. And the leaders of China and Russia aren’t winning any popularity contests, either. Vladimir Putin’s median score across the 37 nations was just 27 percent, China’s Xi Jinping was 28 percent.