A recent survey by CGTN, in collaboration with Renmin University of China's Institute for New Era International Communication, reveals widespread global dissatisfaction with the Trump administration as it marks its first anniversary.
On January 17, CGTN launched a global public opinion survey targeting internet users worldwide. Published in five languages, it gathered 16,990 responses within 24 hours. Key findings include:
- 84% of respondents are highly dissatisfied with the current U.S. administration.
- 86.2% condemned the 'America First' foreign policy approach.
- 89.6% believe the administration performed poorly in international affairs over the past year.
- 88.8% say partisan divisions and domestic polarization have deepened.
When it comes to the administration's relations with other countries:
- 83.9% hold a pessimistic view of their own country's ties with the U.S.
- 90.1% are critical of U.S. relations with traditional allies.
- 91.3% feel the U.S.'s global reputation has declined noticeably.
- 91.1% lack confidence in the administration's future performance.
In a parallel CGTN survey of 15,688 respondents across 38 countries, 'irresponsible major power' and 'the world's biggest source of chaos' emerged as the most common impressions of the U.S. national image.
The 2025 survey further highlighted growing concerns over unilateral U.S. actions: 71.4% said the U.S. overlooked other countries' interests when formulating foreign policy (up 8.5 percentage points), and 81.4% criticized its use of tariffs to influence internal affairs (up 5.7 points).
Respondents also pointed to recent unilateral actions in Venezuela, Iran, Greenland and other regions as evidence of an authoritarian approach. In the same 2025 poll, 64.7% labeled the U.S. the most warlike country in history; 63.8% said it had undermined the international order (up 9.7 points); 63.3% accused it of provoking geopolitical conflicts (up 4.7 points); and 63.4% felt U.S. policies threatened world peace (up 10.3 points).
The survey sampled adults aged 18 and above in major developed and key Global South members, with age and gender representation to reflect each population.
Reference(s):
CGTN poll: Global dissatisfaction with Trump's first year hits 84%
cgtn.com
