Donald Trump’s claim that he made the U.S. “respected all over the world” has gone up in flames with new polling that reveals the scale of his global reputation disaster in his second term.
A Gallup poll conducted in 2025 across more than 130 countries found median approval of U.S. leadership dropped from 39 percent in 2024 to 31 percent in 2025. At the same time, disapproval rose to a record-high 48 percent.
The same survey found China surpassed the U.S. in global approval ratings, with a median of 36 percent approving of Beijing’s leadership, compared with 31 percent for Washington. Gallup said the five-point gap marked the widest lead China has held over the U.S. in nearly two decades.
Gallup noted that its latest annual poll rating the leadership of the four leading economic or military powers—the U.S., China, Russia, and Germany—was conducted before several major developments early this year, including Trump’s war in Iran, which began in late February.
Approval of U.S. leadership declined by 10 points or more in 44 countries between 2024 and 2025, with the steepest declines concentrated among U.S. allies, including many members of NATO.
Germany recorded the largest drop, with approval of U.S. leadership falling by 39 points, followed by Portugal, down 38 points. Other traditional U.S. allies, including the U.K., Italy, and Canada, also saw significant drops in their approval of Trump’s leadership.
“These patterns echo the distribution of declines seen at the start of Trump’s first term, when approval dropped most sharply among U.S. allies,” the report said. “Overall, China’s move ahead of the U.S. more broadly reflects a decline in U.S. ratings rather than an increase in China’s ratings.”
Since returning to office for a second term last January, Trump has alienated the United States from many of its allies with a string of controversial moves, including slapping tariffs of up to 50 percent on steel and aluminum imports last summer. The president boasted that the move would provide a “big jolt” to U.S. industry.
He has also drawn ire from Washington’s traditional allies with his repeated declarations about wanting the U.S. to seize Greenland. The semiautonomous island is part of Denmark and houses a U.S. Space Force base.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
