French President Francois Hollande called Donald Trump sickening saying:
“His excesses make you want to retch, even in the United States, especially when – as in the case with Donald Trump – he speaks ill of a soldier, of the memory of a soldier.”
Not surprisingly, Hollande is hardly alone as universal opinion of Trump is one of epic disapproval. In a recent poll, 85 percent of Europeans doubted Trump’s ability to do the right thing regarding world affairs.
Trump’s ability to lead was heavily doubted in Australia and Japan as well. In China he had a little more support where only 40 percent said they had no confidence in his leadership.
But should the collective abhorrence of Trump really influence the American election? After all, why should someone in suburbia care about the U.S. image on the world stage?
Americans may not realize it but perception regarding the United States and its leaders is paramount to our safety and ability to lead on the world stage. During the Bush-era, anti-American sentiment was widespread throughout many regions of the world. Policies of American exceptionalism caused the world to abandon us as we embarked on two failed wars against terrorism.
Since I lived in Paris, I have witnessed the progression of American opinion on the world stage. During the Bush years, many Europeans would look at me with an open curiosity, wondering if I held the world in contempt.
Could their dislike for President Bush be a threat to my safety? Then a funny thing happened. The United States decided to elect someone the rest of the world could support.
While certain naysayers criticize all things Barack Obama, the rest of the world likes our current President. Americans are no longer perceived as being above the rest of the world. Instead the United States is seen as leaders in a world fraught with tension.
As for the person living in suburban America, you will feel safe knowing that Americans actually have a favorable international image. So you can shrug it off the next time you hear someone say the rest of the world hates Americans.
All that good will would change in an instant if we suddenly decided to elect a xenophobic president. Countries will consider our choice as a reflection on how we feel about them. If we elect someone who openly holds the world in contempt then it will hurt our standing as leaders in global politics.
If American perception was negative during the Bush years, then imagine how disapproving it would be if Trump was the next POTUS. Average Americans abroad would suffer from the image of hate evoked by a President Trump.
His presence as a world leader would be catastrophic in unifying our allies against threats to world peace. In a time of global anxiety we need to elect someone who makes us feel safe as we traverse the threats of terrorism and fanatic right wing politics.
Trump’s presence is not the hand of a confident leader, nor is he the man the rest of the world would feel safe rallying behind either. To the voter in suburban America, would you feel safe following Donald Trump into the field of war? Neither would the rest of the world.
Check out what the world thinks of our potential clueless leader:
