Views of US abroad grow more positive under Biden: Pew

International opinions of the United States have become markedly more positive since President Biden took over from former President Trump, according to a new survey released as Biden prepares for his debut on the global stage at a Group of Seven (G-7) summit.

Of 12 nations surveyed by the Pew Research Center, a median 75 percent expressed confidence in Biden, more than four times the 17 percent who said the same of Trump in 2020. Twenty-two percent said they have no confidence in Biden, compared with 83 percent who said so of Trump at the end of his presidency.

And a median 62 percent of people in these 12 countries now have a positive view of the U.S. under Biden, according to the survey, whereas 34 percent had such a view under Trump last year.

The survey demonstrates a dramatic rebound of international views under Biden, who has emphasized the importance of alliances and multilateral organizations. Biden has turned away from Trump’s “America First” foreign policy by rejoining global pacts and organizations like the World Health Organization and the Paris climate accord and showing support for alliances like NATO.

Still, Biden is expected to encounter some skeptical leaders during his trip to Europe over the next week, given that many of his decisions could be undone in four years depending on the results of the 2024 presidential election.

Biden headed into his first foreign trip as commander in chief with the goal of demonstrating to Russia and China that the U.S. alliance with Europe is strong and that “America is back.”

“At every point along the way, we’re going to make it clear that the United States is back and democracies of the world are standing together to tackle the toughest challenges and the issues that matter most to our future,” Biden said Wednesday in a speech to U.S. forces at Royal Air Force Mildenhall before traveling to Cornwall, U.K., for the G-7 summit.

Despite the positive news in the Pew survey for Biden, the survey also includes some worrying signs for the White House. A median 57 percent of those surveyed from 16 countries said that democracy in the U.S. used to be a good model but has not been in recent years, while only 17 percent said it is a good example for other countries. Only about half said the U.S. political system is working well.

According to the survey, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada, the United Kingdom and Spain are among countries that have seen a sharp increase in U.S. favorability among their populations this year.

In other nations, opinions are more mixed. Just under half of those in Australia have positive views and the U.S. approval rating has declined in Taiwan from 68 percent in 2019 to 61 percent, a figure that is still high.