Commentary
Make America Weak Again
- by Joe Mandese @mp_joemandese, April 25, 2025
Less than a hundred days into Trump 2.0, perceptions of America's ability to influence world affairs has tumbled, falling even lower than its last recent low during Trump 1.0.
That's according to a tracking study of respondents across 29 countries conducted by Ipsos, which found that America's effectiveness in influencing global affairs is once again below water.
While that may not be that surprising, here are a few facts that should be:
- America has fallen from a ninth place ranking (just behind NATO) in October 2024 to a 13th place ranking (behind India) currently.
- America has been the biggest loser in global affairs esteem (falling 13%), followed by NATO (-3%) and the United Nations (-2%).
- The biggest gainers have been China (+10%), Saudi Arabia (+9%) and -- you guessed it -- Russia (+7%).
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In other words, Trump isn't just hurting in the polls domestically, but he's tarnished America's equity worldwide, to the benefit of some of our biggest adversaries. Heck, even Iran is ticking up in global esteem. Sheesh.
Looking at America's global influence sentiment domestically, the results show an inevitable partisan divide among Democrats and Republicans -- but among all Americans -- our own perception of our ability to influence world affairs has fallen 14 percentage points since last October.
While Trump's erratic attempts at fighting a global trade war likely have played into these worldwide and U.S. perceptions, I think it's more than just tariffs and economics. It includes:
- Indecisive signals related to strategic global affairs, especially Trump's about-face -- and switching sides -- on Ukraine and Russia.
- His incessant, blustery claims on other nations' sovereignty.
- His pronouncements and allusions about Unconstitutionally asserting his own sovereignty over America.
- His -- and J.D. Vance's -- promotion of fascist factions in Western democracies.
- Violations of human rights and Constitutional law domestically.
- And especially his dismantling and demoralization of the U.S. government, particularly the parts that are supposed to keep us safe from foreign adversaries.
Honestly, it doesn't feel like he's simply being inept to me. It feels like part of a game plan, and that much of Trump's performative antics are simply part of misdirection to ensure we don't focus on what he's doing to undermine America's strengths -- domestically or worldwide.
So I have to ask why and toward what end?
Surely it cannot be to sabotage America's role as the leader of the free world... and prop up one or more leaders of the not-so-free one?
But whatever the agenda might be, the data indicates that is exactly what people around the world -- and inside the U.S. -- believe is happening.
Joe Mandese is the Editor in Chief of MediaPost. You can reach Joe at joe@mediapost.com.
Joe, I usually agree with you, but are you sure a diving stock market, dollar and bond market, are signs of weakness? After all, whenever we tell Russia to stop bombing Ukraine, and Hamas to release the remaining hostages in Gaza, they seem to comply immediately. Just because all of our former allies are strenghtening their unions and cutting us out of the conversations, does that really make us weak? Yes this is all being typed tongue in cheek.
Mr. Goldstein,
If you had any brains you would be dangerous.
Everyone who does have at least half a brain should wait 12-months to revisit the stupidity of your banter.
I'll simply start and stop with just a few of key points.
-Why are over 100 countries trying to urgently negociate more acceptable trade terms that the Trump administration is demanding if they disrespect us?
- Why are all key European countries still buying T Bills if they disrespect us.
- Why is the entire world listening to EVERY directive being issued by Scott Bessnet if they disrespect us.
Mr. Lumsden-
we will find out in a year or so how smart Trump's so-called strategy actually is. Of course he will change course multiple times by then so will be hard. The only question though will be are we better off than we were in November 2024. Stay tuned.
Whether you agree or disagree with Trumps politics, I'm not sure why this is an opinion piece for MediaPost. It would be interesting if it discussed global client investment in US market or perhaps there will be a bias against American agencies. This just reads like a 'scorecard' of sorts without a meaningful conclusion.
@Jason Kanefsky: Re. reason: Because MediaPost covers a variety of marketing categories including politics, and that's what this column is about (Hence the name "Red, White & Blog: Truth, Mud and the American Media." If people don't feel that is relevant, they can opt-out or ignore it just like our coverage of any other marketing category. The "scorecard" you refer to is data from a leading marketing research firm -- Ipsos -- tracking perceptions about brand America worldwide, and among Americans of all parties. It shows that perception of America's brand as the leader of the free world fell below water two times in recent history -- Trump 1.0 and 2.0.
We've also been covering how marketers in various other categories have been adapting their investment spending in response to macro economic and geopolitical changes elsewhere on MediaPost.
@Gary Lumsden: You are welcome to comment on anything we publish, including other readers' comments, but please refrain from personal attacks.
This commentary has no business being posted here.
The probability of any further post here by me is slim to none. On the infrequent occasions that I have opened a MediaPost issue, all I read are left leaning statements supporting economic disinformation that DIMS (who seem to have always over populated the advertising industry) enjoy reading.
If we don't control our economic future, China and the rest of the world will. Some say that the Trump Administration is moving too fast. With a national debt equal to our GDP, they really need to move even faster.... on all fronts.
I encourage everyone to watch the video posted 3-days ago on YouTube featuring Scott Bessnt's speach at the IIF addressed to world finance leaders. Ater that, read Ray Dalio's book, THE CHANGING WORLD ORDER, Why Nations Succeed and Fail.