Trump’s Foreign Policy and American Public Opinion

President Donald Trump’s appearance at the NATO meetings in Brussels has returned our attention once again to his views on the need to change the role of the United States on the world stage.

Trump’s attempts to shift the ways of U.S. foreign policy are not a new phenomenon, of course. America has changed many times from an isolationist posture to one of full engagement in the world, and then back to isolationism. …

But how well does Trump’s latest effort to pull back U.S. commitments to alliances, treaties and allies around the world fit with American public opinion? A review of what we know about Americans’ attitudes shows that Trump is clearly on target with some of his actions on the world stage, and off target on others. CONT.

Frank Newport, Gallup