US image suffers under Trump

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON

The U.S.'s international standing has suffered a major blow during the early months of President Donald Trump's tenure, the Pew Research Center suggested a recently released global opinion poll.

The poll of 37 countries found a median of just 22 percent have confidence in Trump to steer the U.S. on the international stage. That is down from a 64 percent median who expressed confidence in former President Barack Obama.

Nearly all countries saw a dramatic dip in confidence levels since Trump took office, except Israel and Russia, that increased seven and 42 points, respectively.

Among four major world leaders, the poll, which was suggested Trump ranks the lowest with only 22 percent expressing confidence in the American president. Twenty-seven percent of respondents expressed confidence in Russian President Vladimir Putin, 28 percent in China's Xi Jinping, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel topped the list by far at 42 percent.

Merkel ranks the lowest in those lacking confidence in her, with only 31 percent expressing the opinion compared to 74 percent expressing doubt about Trump's leadership.

Trump has long boasted of an "America first" approach to foreign policy, threatening to and following through on proposals to remove the U.S. from major international agreements on free trade, and environmental protections, while seeking to bar U.S. entry for residents of six Muslim-majority countries.

Of five major international policy proposals Trump has put forward, none have been met approvingly by the global community, the Pew poll suggested.

The most soundly rejected plan -- building a wall along the U.S.'s southern border with Mexico -- was favored by only 19 percent of respondents while full 76 percent disapproved.

The "Muslim ban" Trump has enacted was disapproved of by 62 percent of those polled, while being approved of by 32 percent of respondents.