As the United States prepares to mark 250 years of independence on 4 July, European public opinion toward both President Donald Trump and the country itself has soured significantly, according to a new study by the Pew Research Centre.
Across ten European countries surveyed, more than eight out of ten respondents in Sweden, the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Italy expressed a lack of confidence in Trump to do the right thing regarding world affairs. Confidence ratings have dropped in eight European nations since 2025, with Greece and Italy seeing declines of 15 percentage points each.
The erosion of trust is not limited to the general population. Even among Europeans who hold favourable views of right-wing populist parties, support for Trump has weakened. For instance, backing among Greeks aligned with the Greek Solution party fell by 29 percentage points between 2025 and 2026. In Italy, only 30% of those with a positive view of Brothers of Italy now express confidence in Trump, down from 49% in 2025.
Greenland, Tariffs, and Geopolitical Strains
A median of 85% of respondents in France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom disapprove of how Trump has handled the twin issues of Greenland and tariffs. Since 2025, Trump has repeatedly voiced a desire to acquire the Danish autonomous territory of Greenland, citing national security. In early 2026, he refused to rule out military force and threatened taxes on European goods unless Denmark ceded control. Although he has since softened his rhetoric, he continues to threaten tariffs, including against countries that impose digital services taxes on American tech giants.
Beyond these disputes, 78% of respondents across the ten nations disapprove of Trump’s handling of the wars in Ukraine and Iran. The perception of US reliability has also plummeted. Hungary and Poland are the only countries where a majority still consider the US a dependable partner. In Hungary, that view has actually strengthened since 2022, during the Biden administration. But in eight other nations, the share of people who see the US as reliable has fallen by between 28 and 52 percentage points over the same period.
Europeans are also less convinced that Washington takes other countries’ interests into account when making foreign policy. In Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, Spain, and France, the proportion of people who believe the US considers other nations’ interests has halved since 2022.
The findings come as the US marks its anniversary with events such as a French aerobatic team flypast over New York and a celebration in Brussels that sought to project transatlantic unity. Yet the survey data suggests that beneath the official messages, European publics are increasingly questioning the foundations of the alliance.
Meanwhile, Trump’s personal business interests continue to draw attention. His crypto empire generated over €1 billion in his first year back in office, raising questions about conflicts of interest. And in Albania, police clashed with protesters over a Trump-linked resort in a protected area, highlighting the global reach of his brand.
For many Europeans, the data paints a clear picture: trust in American leadership is at a low ebb, and the relationship across the Atlantic is under greater strain than at any point in recent memory.
