Image of the US has plunged under Trump, survey shows

BERLIN: The image of the United States has deteriorated sharply across the globe under President Donald Trump and an overwhelming majority of people in other countries have no confidence in his ability to lead, a survey from the Pew Research Center showed.

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

But the falls were far steeper in some of America’s closest allies, including US neighbours Mexico and Canada, and European partners like Germany and Spain.

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

On his first foreign trip as president in early June, 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 now say they have a favourable view of the United States, down from 66 per cent at the end of the Obama era. In Canada and Germany, favourability ratings slid by 22 points, to 43 per cent and 35 per cent, respectively.

In many European countries, the ratings were comparable to those seen at the end of the presidency of George W. Bush, whose 2003 invasion of Iraq was deeply unpopular.

“The drop in favourability ratings for the United States is widespread,” the Pew report said.

“The share of the public with a positive view of the US has plummeted in a diverse set of countries from Latin America, North America, Europe, Asia and Africa”. — Reuters