Donald Trump’s omnipresence
Since January 20, 2025, the date of his inauguration as President of the United States, Donald Trump has dominated the international agenda. Hardly a day goes by without one of his decisions or sudden whims disrupting the course of the world. It’s as if the “age of predators”, foretold by Giulano da Empoli in his book of the same name, had been waiting for him to bury the geopolitical order we’ve known since the end of the Second World War. Faced with such an upheaval, which goes beyond the diplomatic scene alone, the question burns in our minds: is Trump the expression of a fleeting movement, a temporary crystallization of all American discontent, or does he reflect an underlying trend? Does the current of ideas he embodies resonate beyond the borders of the United States, and if so, which aspects in particular appeal most to foreign opinion?
What impact beyond the U.S.?
In their international Vision(s) study, carried out every year on three continents (9,000 people surveyed), the Sociovision teams (Ifop Group) have attempted to answer these questions. In this study, “Trumpism” was reconstituted along 7 key dimensions. For each dimension, several questions were asked of representative populations in 8 countries (France, Germany, Spain, Poland, the UK, the USA, China and Japan), in order to measure the influence of “Trumpist” ideas on opinion in each country.
The 7 key dimensions of “Trumpism” measured in the study :
- Attachment to a strong leader and demand for authority
- Rejection of immigration
- The cult of “less government
- Economic protectionism
- Ecological denial
- Religious references
- Rejection of “progressivism
Key findings: “Trumpism”, a fundamental movement
This is a time of demand for greater authority. The idea that a strong leader is needed today – a “chief” who knows how to be obeyed – is supported by a majority in most countries (from 60% in France to 90% in China, 66% in the UK and 69% in Spain). Significantly, this demand has been growing everywhere since 2023. What’s more, in all democracies, a significant proportion of the population is tempted by strong power, “even if it means restricting democracy”.
On the question of immigration, Donald Trump is far from preaching in a desert. The majority of Europeans are now in favor of closing borders. 70% of the French, 65% of the British and 57% of Spaniards believe that “immigration must be limited” if the world is to be a better place tomorrow.
Stop public services! The Trump presidency began with the creation of a Department of “Government Efficiency” specially designed for Elon Musk. Its mission was to drastically cut federal spending. In fact, reducing the weight of public spending and public services is overwhelmingly supported in most countries. Everywhere, a clear majority supports deleveraging their states (69% in France, 64% in the UK, 66% in the USA, 57% in Japan).
Donald Trump has made the threat of higher tariffs a negotiating principle in international relations. But public opinion does not follow him on this point. Protectionism is in fact in the minority in all countries except… France, where sovereignist ideas are gaining ground. Even in the United States, advocates of higher tariffs are in the minority. More significantly, contrary to Trump’s isolationist or imperialist declarations, opinions in the countries covered by the study are in favor of greater cooperation on a global scale (over 80% in Europe or Asia, and including the USA). The UN and NATO remain legitimate and necessary organizations in the eyes of contemporaries.
A climate skeptic, Donald Trump is constantly decrying ecology and calling for a return to the “world before”, the golden age of fossil fuels. His ideas resonate with developments elsewhere. But while ecological urgency is waning in most countries, particularly in Europe, people, including in the United States, remain convinced of the need to turn the corner on ecological transition.
While Trump has enjoyed strong support from religious movements in the United States, particularly radical evangelical currents, this close relationship between religion and politics is not found in Europe. Above all, this support is a reflection of a country where almost one in five inhabitants regularly practices his or her religion, a spiritual dynamism not found in Western countries.
Lastly, criticism of “progress” in the fields of health, the environment or women’s rights, which are often criticized under the catch-all expression of “wokism”, does not reflect the prevailing opinion in most countries, including the USA. Everywhere, the majority of those questioned want to see further progress in these areas. On these subjects, Donald Trump is not followed. The idea of progress remains a source of hope throughout the world.
Trump reflects a world in crisis
In conclusion, the world has not become “Trumpist”
- Protectionist measures are only approved by a minority,
- People remain attached to the notion of scientific progress,
- the culture of cooperation between nations, via international organizations, remains in the majority.
But, in every country, a significant minority of the population is in tune with several dimensions of “Trumpism”:
- Preference for strong leaders,
- Support for anti-immigration measures,
- Backtracking on ecological transition,
- A cult of “less government” and calls to reduce public spending.
