WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As President Joe Biden leaves office next week, Gallup surveys show the reputation of U.S. leadership remained fragile across NATO member countries throughout his presidency. However, it was still improved over what it was during Donald Trump’s first term.
In the last year of Biden’s presidency, the median approval of U.S. leadership across NATO’s 30 member countries was 35%, the lowest of his term. Median disapproval was 51%, the highest of his term.
Historically, these ratings were still relatively better than those under Trump or during George W. Bush’s last two years in office. However, ratings under Biden were worse than those during most of the Barack Obama administration, when approval averaged 46% and disapproval averaged 26%.
The latest findings are based on Gallup surveys with representative samples of adults in 30 NATO member countries throughout 2024. In 11 countries, fieldwork was complete before the U.S.-hosted NATO summit in July, while surveys in the rest, except for Croatia, were complete before the November U.S. election.
The slight dip in approval in the past year may reflect the pressure these relationships have been under during the ongoing wars between Russia and Ukraine and Hamas and Israel, and a host of other emerging threats. But in the last year of his presidency, America was closer to “better” rather than “back” as Biden pledged in the early days.
The relatively poor ratings during Trump’s first term likely reflect the unpredictable U.S.-NATO relationship of that period, which may return in his second administration that begins next week. During his first term, Trump repeatedly criticized NATO allies for not meeting defense spending commitments. As recently as December, he said he would stay in NATO “if they pay their bills” and would have no problem leaving the alliance if they did not.
U.S. Image Stronger in Most NATO Members Today Than in 2020
Approval ratings of U.S. leadership in 2024 varied widely across NATO member countries, from a high of 72% in Poland to a low of 18% in Slovenia and Türkiye. Majorities of residents in just four of the 30 countries surveyed -- Poland, Albania, Portugal and Germany -- approved.
Historically, the image of U.S. leadership across most NATO members is stronger today than in 2020 -- the final year of Trump’s first presidency. In 20 of the 30 countries surveyed in both years, approval ratings in 2024 were substantially higher (shifts of 10 percentage points or more) than in 2020. Germany experienced the biggest shift, with approval increasing from 6% to 52%.
Notably, the image of U.S. leadership did not decline substantially in any NATO country between 2020 and 2024. And, in several countries, including Hungary, Greece, Slovenia, Romania and Montenegro, approval ratings remained essentially unchanged.
However, compared with ratings in the last term of the Obama administration, approval under Biden was substantially lower in 20 of the 30 countries and substantially higher in three: Poland, Latvia and North Macedonia.
Implications
While the image of U.S. leadership among NATO allies improved under Biden compared to the levels seen during Trump's first term, it has not fully recovered.
Biden's efforts to strengthen relationships with NATO members have improved the United States’ image with these countries’ populations but not fully restored it to its Obama-era highs. Given Trump’s past and current approach to NATO, it seems unlikely that the incoming administration will create such goodwill or even if developing this aspect of America’s soft power is one of its goals.
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