New Study: Trump is Viewed as Both Untrustworthy & Incompetent By Our Allies

One of the few things that people around the world seem to agree on is that Donald Trump is both untrustworthy and incompetent. And, because of that, America's image abroad continues to decline, to the lowest levels ever measured by researchers.

The Pew Research organization released a new study this week that found that people in 13 developed nations including Canada, Japan, Australia and the UK view America's coronavirus response as the worst in the world, worse even than China's.

And, only 16% of respondents in these nations have any confidence in Donald Trump to do the right thing in world affairs. To provide some perspective, even Vladimir Putin is viewed more positively in the global community, despite his penchant for rigging elections, invading his neighbors, and knocking off his opposition.

Pew: "Among the six leaders included on the survey, Angela Merkel receives the highest marks: A median of 76% across the nations polled have confidence in the German chancellor. French President Emmanuel Macron also gets largely favorable reviews. Ratings for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson are roughly split. Ratings for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are overwhelmingly negative, although not as negative as those for Trump."

This distrust of President Trump is reflected in how people see the United States. Even among our closest allies, America's reputation has suffered greatly over the last three years. In several nations the percentage of people with a favorable view of the U.S. is as low as it has been at any point since Pew began polling on the topic several decades ago.

Pew: "For instance, just 41% in the United Kingdom express a favorable opinion of the U.S., the lowest percentage registered in any Pew Research Center survey there. In France, only 31% see the U.S. positively, matching the grim ratings from March 2003, at the height of U.S.-France tensions over the Iraq War. Germans give the U.S. particularly low marks on the survey: 26% rate the U.S. favorably, similar to the 25% in the same March 2003 poll."

So, why does this matter? Why should we care about how the world sees us? If you are an isolationist, an anti-globalist, perhaps it doesn't matter to you. But, if you think that US leadership is vital to a more peaceful, prosperous, humane world, it matters quite a bit.

As the world turns away from an America it can't trust, China and Russia will rush to fill the power vacuum we leave in our wake; they already are. And, I guarantee you that no one in the United States will like the international order that Xi and Putin envisage. Yes, global leadership with strong alliances can be exhausting, but it's the only "America First" policy that really ensures a safe and prosperous future for our children and grandchildren. Truman, Nixon, Reagan, Kennedy, and Obama understood that and it's as true today, probably more so with an ascendant China, than ever.

#news #research, #internationalrelations #Trump

By: Don Lam & Curated Content

Photo: President Trump during his June 1, 2017 announcement to leave the international Paris Agreement.