Tag: allies
Former President Donald Trump

Global Approval Of US Plummets As Trump Imposes Tariffs, Attacks Allies

Since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, approval of the United States has fallen by double-digit percentage points in multiple countries, according to a Pew Research Center poll released on Wednesday.

The drop in global support follows Trump’s decision to insult multiple nations by imposing tariffs on allies—and even threatening military action.

In total, support for the United States fell in 19 of the 24 countries that Pew surveyed.

“Majorities in most countries also express little or no confidence in Trump’s ability to handle specific issues, including immigration, the Russia-Ukraine war, U.S.-China relations, global economic problems, conflicts between Israel and its neighbors, and climate change,” the Pew report summarized.

Most respondents characterized Trump as arrogant and dangerous, and very few of the people surveyed regarded the only convicted felon to serve as president as honest.

Support for the United States significantly declines from Pew’s 2024 poll, when President Joe Biden was in office. Notable declines occurred among the closest U.S. allies, including a 32 percent decrease in Mexico, 20 percent in Canada, 10 percent in France, 15 percent in Japan, and 16 percent in Germany.

Only three nations view the United States more favorably than they did in 2024: Israel, Nigeria, and Turkey. Though support increased by just seven percent or less.

This loss of global support comes after Trump decided to unilaterally impose tariffs on a host of nations, increasing the costs for businesses worldwide.

On Tuesday, the World Bank announced that Trump’s tariffs disrupted global progress in the “soft landing” in recovery from COVID-19. The bank cited “turbulence” and lowered its projections of economic growth to the slowest in 17 years, outside of the 2008 and 2020 recessions.

When he isn’t disrupting global business, Trump has used his power to attack a steady succession of nations. He has repeatedly antagonized Canada, arguing that it should become the 51st state. He directly insulted the leaders of key allies like Ireland and Ukraine while reigniting his longstanding racist feud with Mexico, even renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.”

Trump also floated the notion of using military force to take over Greenland, where he even deployed Vice President JD Vance, further inflaming tensions.

In more recent developments, Trump’s military invasion of Los Angeles is unlikely to improve global perceptions of the United States, not to mention the harassment and detention of international visitors and students.

U.S. tourism is also down under Trump, as he’s made the country more inhospitable to trading partners and allies. The ripple effect of his actions continues to hurt U.S. businesses that rely on spending by tourists, putting a black mark on the country’s global reputation.

Let’s just hope it’s not permanent.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Musk Blowup's Fallout: Trump Allies Keep Turning On Each Other

Musk Blowup's Fallout: Trump Allies Keep Turning On Each Other

President Donald Trump's public falling out with Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is now prompting additional infighting in MAGA circles between some of Trump's most high-profile supporters.

Semafor reported Monday that "War Room" podcast host Steve Bannon – who was White House chief strategist in the first Trump administration – is now setting his sights on venture capitalist and second Trump administration AI czar David Sacks (who is close to Musk and co-hosts the popular "All In" podcast). The MAGA pundit mentioned Sacks on a recent episode of his podcast, and accused him of exploiting his relationship to Trump to further his own goals.

"You’re dangerous," Bannon said of Sacks and his co-hosts. "It’s all about you, not the country."

However, Trump administration spokesperson Harrison Fields said that Sacks was "deeply committed to advancing the president's vision" on cryptocurrency and AI issues, and credited the billionaire Trump donor with being "a trusted ally and early supporter of President Trump."

While the White House defended Sacks himself, an unnamed source told Semafor that the administration was indeed having ongoing conversations "regarding the future of some of these big names that came to the federal government in that wave of Elon [Musk] coming here." The source also teased the possibility of some of Musk's hires being let go, calling it a "mutual separation" between the tech billionaire's team and the administration.

Whether Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — which has spent the first several months of 2025 slashing the federal workforce across multiple agencies – remains in place is also an open question. Some DOGE staffers reportedly have been texting each other wondering if their own jobs will be next on the chopping block. Semafor's source also said that while the work itself of reducing the federal workforce may continue, Trump may rebrand it.

“Maybe we don’t call it DOGE,” the source said. “The mission is what we want to stay focused on.”

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

John Roberts

Chief Justice Rebukes Trump And MAGA Goons Over Impeachment Threat

President Donald Trump and some of his MAGA allies are calling for the impeachment of U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, the Barack Obama appointee who temporarily blocked the deportation of undocumented immigrants allegedly associated with the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang. Trump, with his executive order, invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 — which has only been used three times s in U.S. history.

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts intervened in the matter on Tuesday, March 18, issuing a statement that was highly critical of Trump.

"For more than two centuries," the conservative George W. Bush appointee wrote, "it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose."

Responses to Roberts' rebuke of Trump came swiftly.

On a legal panel, MSNBC's Lisa Rubin pointed out that Roberts is concerned with the "safety" of judges. And Georgetown University law professor Paul Butler noted the important role that judges play in the United States' system of checks and balances, adding, "Congress will do whatever the president wants."

Roberts' rebuke is also receiving a lot of responses on social media.

Billionaire Elon Musk posted, "As Justice Roberts well knows, impeachment is a constitutional right of the legislature."

Other X users, however, defended Roberts' position.

Former federal prosecutor Barbara McQuade, a frequent legal analyst for MSNBC, tweeted: "Chief Justice John Roberts has issued a remarkable statement in response to Trump's call for impeachment of the judge who ruled against him in Alien Enemy Act case. This is about law, not politics."

Attorney Gerald A. Griggs wrote, "When the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court feels compelled to issue a statement, it’s a clear sign that there are serious issues with how two branches of our federal government are operating."

Comedian John Fugelsang commented, "John Roberts, who poured gasoline on a raging inferno, sternly rebukes one of the flames."

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

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