How the world sees Donald Trump: surveys show other countries see US president as ‘unreliable’ and ‘dangerous’

The Conversation · 🇦🇺 public Australia · May 21, 2026 · 821 words · By Paul Whiteley

Democratic Stability Political polarization International Reputation of the US

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What to know about Democratic Stability

The article discusses Pew International survey data regarding global and domestic disapproval of President Trump and the war in Iran. It analyzes the correlation between confidence in the president and the type of government in various countries, while suggesting potential paths for the US to recover its international reputation.

Propaganda risk 40%

Claims checked 12

Techniques found 4

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left11%

Center78%

Right11%

9 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Americans are increasingly turning against the war in Iran and the president that launched it.

Why it matters

According to a survey conducted in April by US-based pollster, Pew International, 61% of people in the US disapprove of the war while only 37% approve.

Common ground

The US president’s overall approval rating, meanwhile, has slipped to 34%.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Slippery Slope: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Democratic Stability story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Pew’s spring 2025 survey revealed 12 months ago a strong lack of confidence in Donald Trump across much of the world?
How does this story connect Democratic Stability with Political polarization over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/how-the-world-sees-donald-trump-surveys-show-other-c…

analyticsAnalysis

40%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 90%

Moderate concerns. Notable use of persuasive or loaded language.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 4 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Name Calling / Labeling 80% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Slippery Slope 70% confidence

Arguing that one event will inevitably lead to extreme consequences without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing slippery slope helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Oversimplification 70% confidence

Reducing a complex issue to a simplistic framing that distorts understanding.

Why it matters: Recognizing oversimplification helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 12 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 6

help Insufficient Evidence 2

check_circle Corroborated 2

schedule Pending 2

info

Claim 1: “Pew’s spring 2025 survey revealed 12 months ago a strong lack of confidence in Donald Trump across much of the world.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific detail about a 'spring 2025 survey' revealing a lack of confidence 12 months ago is found in one specific web result. Other results mention Pew surveys generally but not this specific timeframe/context.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Pew’s spring 2025 survey revealed 12 months ago a strong lack of confidence in Donald Trump across much of the world. The survey was conducted in 24 mostly European countries, but also countries in As…
https://theconversation.com/how-the-world-sees-donald-trump-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Survey of 25 nations also showed that respondents from across the globe have less confidence in US president's ability to lead than they do in Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping.
https://www.voanews.com/a/pew-survey-america-s-image-worsens…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The global image of the U.S.A. is at a historic low, with Canadians — and most people across 25 countries surveyed — expressing little confidence in Trump, a new Pew Research Center study has found.
https://globalnews.ca/news/4510841/donald-trump-canada-surve…

help

Claim 2: “More than 50% of the respondents in 21 of the countries thought this [that Trump was dangerous].”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found for this claim in the provided search results.

check_circle

Claim 3: “The US president’s overall approval rating, meanwhile, has slipped to 34%.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent sources (Newsweek and another web result) explicitly state that the US president's overall approval rating has slipped to 34%.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Rating the presidents: a ranking US leaders, from the great and honorable to the dishonest and incompetent.Presidents. Professional career. Approval rating. Assassination attempts and plots. Control o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_rankings_of_preside…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — According to the poll, the president's overall approval rating is 34 percent versus a 64 percent disapproval rating. This is "the lowest mark of his second term. He has also lost ground across a varie…
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-approval-rating-is-sliding-am…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The US president’s overall approval rating, meanwhile, has slipped to 34%. In many other countries, however, this disenchantment looms larger. Pew’s spring 2025 survey revealed 12 months ago a strong …
https://theconversation.com/how-the-world-sees-donald-trump-…

schedule

Claim 4: “it is currently classified as a “flawed democracy” in the Economist Intelligence Unit database.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 5: “the US and Israel’s attack on Iran, which took place after the survey was in the field”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found for this claim in the provided search results.

info

Claim 6: “These are all classified as hybrid authoritarian regimes or flawed democracies by the Economist Intelligence Unit.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provided describes what The Economist is, but does not contain the specific classification of the listed countries as hybrid authoritarian regimes or flawed democracies.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Economist ... The Economist is a British news and current affairs journal published in a weekly print magazine format and daily on digital platforms. Widely considered a magazine, it refers to its…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Economist

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Know which way is up. Trusted daily reporting and news analysis. Make sense of politics, economics, business and technology with articles, podcasts and videos.
https://www.economist.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Economist’s podcasts bring our global audiences thought-provoking, entertaining analysis of the world’s most important developments. From news and finance to culture and technology, our podcasts a…
https://www.economistgroup.com/businesses/the-economist

check_circle

Claim 7: “The country with the lowest levels of confidence was Mexico with Canada, Sweden and Germany not far behind.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent sources confirm Mexico had the lowest levels of confidence in Donald Trump, with one specifically mentioning the 6% figure and others mentioning Canada, Sweden, and Germany as also having low confidence.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The country with the lowest levels of confidence was Mexico with Canada, Sweden and Germany not far behind. Interestingly, proximity to the United States appears to boost a lack of confidence in the p…
https://theconversation.com/how-the-world-sees-donald-trump-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Donald Trump’s international ratings remains poor, and opinion of the U.S. has declined since his election.Meanwhile, Trump’s lowest ratings on the survey are found in Mexico, where just 6% express co…
https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2018/10/01/trumps-interna…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Donald Trump on Germany: Top quotes. The US president has offered praise and dished out criticism of Germany. Whether describing the chancellor as "the greatest" or claiming Berlin owes "vast sums of …
https://www.dw.com/en/world-prefers-angela-merkel-to-donald-…

info

Claim 8: “There were five countries in which the president enjoyed a positive net level of confidence: Hungary, Kenya, India, Israel and Nigeria.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provided for this claim consists of general Wikipedia and World Atlas entries about Hungary and does not mention survey results regarding confidence in the US president.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Hungary lies within the Danube River's drainage basin, and is dominated by great lowland plains. It has a population of over 9.5 million, consisting mostly of ethnic Hungarians (Magyars) and a signifi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungary

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — May 14, 2026 · Hungary, landlocked country of central Europe. The capital is Budapest. At the end of World War I, defeated Hungary lost 71 percent of its territory as a result of the Treaty of Trianon…
https://www.britannica.com/place/Hungary

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Feb 25, 2021 · The blank outline map represents the territory of the sovereign landlocked nation of Hungary in Central Europe. The map can be downloaded, printed, and used for coloring or map-pointing…
https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/hungary

info

Claim 9: “According to a survey conducted in April by US-based pollster, Pew International, 61% of people in the US disapprove of the war while only 37% approve.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for claim 0 only contains general information about the Pew Research Center and does not mention any specific survey from April regarding approval/disapproval of a war in Iran.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Pew Research Center (also simply known as Pew) is a nonpartisan American think tank based in Washington, D.C. It provides information on social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends shapi…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pew_Research_Center

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It does not take policy position…
https://www.pewresearch.org/

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web search NEUTRAL — May 13, 2026 · Pew's work lays the foundation for effective policies and practices by invigorating civic life, conducting research, informing and engaging citizens, linking diverse interests to pursue…
https://www.pew.org/en/

info

Claim 10: “only 37% of UK respondents were confident, compared with 63% who were not.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence mentions the survey asked if Trump was 'dangerous' but does not provide the specific percentage (37% confident / 63% not) for UK respondents.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Is Trump dangerous? This lack of confidence in the president is only part of the story. The survey asked what respondents thought about various traits that could be associated with Trump as president.
https://theconversation.com/how-the-world-sees-donald-trump-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — One woman screams NO as Donald Trump is declared 45th President of the United States of America.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDYNVH0U3cs

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Pew Research Center staff called back some of the Muslim American respondents in this survey to get additional thoughts on some of the topics covered. Here is a sampling of what they said about what i…
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2017/07/26/findings-fro…

info

Claim 11: “The survey was conducted in 24 mostly European countries, but also countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The detail that the survey was conducted in 24 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America is mentioned in the same single source as claim 2. Other evidence provided for this claim is general information about Pew.

travel_explore

schedule

Claim 12: “the US has been a democracy for 250 years.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.