Most Republicans Say America Is Now More Respected Worldwide

(CN) - A much greater share of Republicans say the U.S. is more respected internationally today than during Barack Obama’s presidency or George W. Bush’s second term, according to a Pew Research Center report.

Based on a survey of more than 1,500 adults conducted during the last week of October, Pew researchers found in a report released Thursday that only 42 percent of Republicans believe the U.S. is less respected by other countries “these days.” That’s a major shift from the last year of Obama’s presidency, when 70 percent of Republicans believed the U.S. was less respected.

In contrast, the vast majority of Democrats surveyed -- 87 percent -- view the U.S. as less respected internationally these days, and 70 percent believe this is a “major problem,” according to the report.

Democrats’ idea that America is less respected internationally today squares more with the findings of another Pew report, released in June, which found that America’s image abroad has suffered since the election of President Donald Trump, with favorability ratings for the country plummeting around the world.

The new Pew report also found that Americans’ views of several global threats, including North Korea and the Islamic State group, have changed since Trump was elected.

Seventy-five percent of Americans say that North Korea’s nuclear program is a major threat, an 11-point jump from January.

More Americans today also say they view climate change as a major threat.

However, fewer Americans see the Islamic State, also called ISIS, as a major threat to the well-being of the U.S. than earlier this year. About two-thirds said ISIS is a threat, 11 points lower than in January, although the survey was conducted before the Oct. 31 terrorist attack in New York City for which ISIS claimed responsibility.

The Pew report found that partisans are “deeply divided” over the seriousness of possible threats.

While 63 percent of Democrats view Russia’s power and influence as a major threat to the U.S., only 38 percent of Republicans feel the same.

The GOP’s lowest-rated threat is global climate change, with only 28 percent of Republicans viewing it as a major threat, compared to 83 percent of Democrats.

Democrats are also more likely than Republicans to say that the military campaign against ISIS has increased the chances of a terrorist attack in the U.S.

However, there’s greater partisan agreement on the threat of North Korea’s nuclear program and the threat of cyberattacks from other countries, according to the report. Seventy percent or more of both Republicans and Democrats say each is a major threat.

Read the Top 8

Sign up for the Top 8, a roundup of the day's top stories delivered directly to your inbox Monday through Friday.

Email *

Submit