What Americans really think about Trump’s foreign policy

‘Reckless Peacemaker’: US Opinions of Trump’s Foreign Policy

By Jonathan Guyer, Program Director

This article appeared in Inkstick on November 18, 2025

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I am fascinated by the gaps between how President Trump describes his own actions, how foreign policy experts in Washington perceive him, and — most importantly — what the American people think. 

Consider the president’s military adventurism in Latin America, with strikes that have already killed 70 people. The administration, using War on Terrorism-era rationales, says that it is targeting drug smugglers who are akin to al-Qaeda in the Western Hemisphere. Some in the Washington establishment agree and go so far as calling for the ouster of Venezuela’s president, while other policy elites argue that regime change is flagrant overreach. And how do Americans see it? 

About three-quarters of Americans oppose the president taking military action abroad without congressional approval, according to a new public attitudes survey that my organization recently fielded. It’s a rare issue where a hyperpolarized electorate broadly agrees. And the administration is clearly tapping into American fears. When asked directly about US strikes on drug cartels in Latin America, Americans overall are pretty divided, with 44% supporting such military action, and 42% opposing it. These findings have major relevance as a bipartisan group of senators asserts its war powers authority to stop unauthorized strikes in Latin America. 

Asia policy is another arena where the contrasts between the administration, elites, and the public are striking. Among the foreign and domestic security issues that most worry Americans, competition with China is, according to our survey, near the bottom of the list. Nevertheless, when asked directly, most Americans think China is either a moderate or severe threat. Nearly a quarter of Republicans say Trump is making America’s relations with China worse. Despite conservative alarmism toward Beijing, most Americans think the United States should allow students from China to study at American universities. 

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Read more of Jonathan’s article in Inkstick

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