America’s global reputation: what international surveys reveal

A decline in international confidence

Pew Research Center’s June 2025 report found that America’s image had deteriorated in many surveyed countries. Majorities in most countries expressed little or no confidence in Donald Trump’s handling of immigration and several major international issues.

The episode examines the policies behind that loss of confidence. Opare’s argument is that the treatment of migrants and America’s actions abroad are damaging its claim to offer freedom, opportunity and dependable leadership.

ICE and the deportation drive

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, is central to this discussion. TIME reported in June 2025 a sharp expansion in immigration arrests, including enforcement in workplaces, courthouses and homes.

The episode criticises the deportation drive as excessive and examines what it communicates beyond America’s borders. The treatment of people inside the country becomes part of how families, prospective visitors and communities abroad judge it.

Concern also existed within the United States. In a June 2025 Pew survey, half of Americans described the administration as too careless in carrying out deportations. That finding speaks directly to the methods used, rather than simply whether immigration rules should exist.

Foreign policy adds to the loss of trust

The report connects immigration enforcement with America’s wider global policy. Pew’s international survey recorded low confidence across issues including the Russia–Ukraine war, relations with China and conflicts involving Israel and its neighbours.

Opare reads these concerns together: decisions at home and abroad shape whether American leadership is viewed as credible. A country’s promises about rights and partnership are judged against its conduct.

Tariffs push trading partners to look elsewhere

The episode also links America’s declining popularity with tariffs that Opare describes as excessive. A tariff is a tax on imported goods. When access to the US market becomes more expensive or uncertain, exporters have a reason to seek other customers and countries have a reason to strengthen alternative partnerships.

The concern is therefore about more than diplomatic opinion. Trade can change direction. AP’s April 2025 reporting on Japanese trade cited an economist who identified signs of exports being rerouted within Asia to avoid US tariff conflicts.

The report’s argument is that pressure intended to secure better terms for Washington can instead encourage trade between other nations that bypasses the United States. Businesses need dependable markets; repeated uncertainty gives them an incentive to reduce their reliance on a single destination.

This connects the tariff dispute with the wider loss of trust. Countries are not only reacting to American policy with criticism. The episode examines how seeking new markets and trade relationships can become a practical response.

What this means for Africa and the diaspora

For diaspora families, immigration policy can affect relatives, travel plans and their sense of security. For African countries, the wider issue is whether a partner’s actions support the trust on which cooperation depends.

The episode also examines BRICS, emerging powers and the Global South as part of the changing balance of influence. Declining confidence in Washington gives greater urgency to the question of alternative partnerships and whose priorities they serve.

Rebuilding trust requires a change in conduct

The report’s argument is that America’s reputation cannot be repaired by promotion alone. The policies contributing to distrust—deportation measures, tariffs and the treatment of international partners—must be part of the answer.

The accompanying video explores that connection between immigration enforcement, tariffs, changing trade relationships and popularity, asking what the decline means for America’s relationship with the rest of the world.