68% of Britons see the US as having a negative impact on the world, up from 57% in January

Key takeaways

  • 68% of Britons see the US as having a mostly or entirely negative impact on the rest of the world, up 11 points since January
  • Labour, Lib Dem and Green voters are the most likely to see the United States’ influence as negative
  • Largest change in opinion since January is among Conservative voters, a majority of whom now rate America’s global impact as at least more negative than positive
  • Reform UK voters are divided on America’s impact, with 30% see it as mostly positive, 30% as mixed and 35% as mostly negative

Donald Trump’s foreign policy has dominated the news headlines so far this year, with the current conflict with Iran following threats to Greenland’s independence and the seizure of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. These controversial events have caused many in the West to question whether the United States still represents a force for moral leadership in the world.

Indeed, 68% of Britons now believe the US has had a mostly or entirely negative impact on the rest of the world in recent years, up a full 11 points since January. The increase is concentrated among those believing the country’s impact has been entirely negative, a view now held by 33% of the public, up from 23%.

This compares to 18% believing America’s impact has been mixed, down six points since January, and just 10% feeling the US has had a net positive impact on the world in recent years, down three points.

It’s among Conservative voters that the shift has been most pronounced, with a majority of those who backed the party in 2024 (57%) now seeing America’s impact as largely or entirely negative, up 15 points since January. By contrast, the proportions still seeing the US as a shining beacon on the hill has fallen from 20% to 13%, resulting in a 22 point change in net opinion, compared to no more than 14 points among other voters.

Labour, Lib Dem and Green voters are the most likely to believe that America’s impact has been mostly negative, with 83-89% of them holding such a view.

Reform UK voters remain divided in their perception of the US’s influence, though are now roughly as likely to rate the US’s influence negatively (35%) as positively (30%), having previously favoured the latter view by 35% to 26%.

See the full results here

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