People abroad are increasingly judging the United States and President Donald Trump as a package, with attitudes toward the country closely tied to confidence in its leader, according to a Pew Research Center analysis.
In all 36 countries surveyed in 2026, people who trusted Trump on world affairs viewed the United States more positively, while those lacking confidence in him were more likely to view the country negatively.
Relationship has strengthened in Trump's second term
Pew found the connection was weaker during Trump's first term and during former President Joe Biden's administration. In South Korea, the correlation between views of the United States and confidence in Trump rose from 0.54 in 2025 to 0.61 this year, compared with 0.35 for Biden in 2024.
Among South Koreans who lack confidence in Trump, 68% now view the United States negatively. In 2017, 71% of South Koreans without confidence in Trump still held a favorable view of the country.
Poland showed a similar shift. The correlation rose from 0.22 in 2017 to 0.66 in 2026. The share of Poles who lacked confidence in Trump but still viewed the United States positively fell from 70% to 31%.
Country-level results show the same pattern
Across 23 countries included in a separate comparison, the correlation between national favorability toward the United States and confidence in the president was 0.90 in 2026 and 0.91 in 2025. Pew said the two measures diverged more often in 2024.
There were exceptions. Forty percent of adults in Mexico viewed the United States positively, while 11% expressed confidence in Trump. In Kenya, both measures stood at 63%, while in Sweden 19% viewed the United States favorably and 11% had confidence in Trump.
Pew said views of China and Russia have also become more closely associated with confidence in Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin across the countries surveyed.
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