Survey Reveals Majority in Quad Nations View Trump Presidency as Detrimental to Their Countries

A mere 42% of Australian respondents believe that the alliance with the United States enhances their national security.

According to a recent survey, the majority of citizens in Australia, Japan, and India perceive US President Donald Trump's second term as detrimental to their respective nations. Furthermore, Australians increasingly view the United States as more harmful than beneficial in the Asian region.

The comprehensive poll, conducted by the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, sampled 1,000 individuals from each of the Quad diplomatic group countries—Australia, Japan, India, and the United States. Results reveal a region significantly affected by disruptive developments in American politics, though still endorsing coordinated approaches to security challenges.

Data collected in August indicates that 56% of Australians, 54% of Indians, and 59% of Japanese respondents consider Trump's presidency harmful to their nations.

Notably, only 42% of Australians now believe the US alliance strengthens their security—a substantial 14-point decrease since 2024 and the first instance where support has fallen below a majority since polling began in 2022.

Similarly, Japanese respondents expressing confidence in the US alliance enhancing their security dropped by 5 percentage points from the previous year, now standing at merely 47%.

The report highlights that "All four countries express profound concern regarding domestic political violence and misinformation in the United States, with Australians and Indians more frequently viewing the United States as harmful rather than helpful in Asia."

Nevertheless, support for maintaining alliances with the United States persists despite these concerns.

Negative perceptions of China continue from previous surveys, with more Australian (48%), American (40%), Japanese (58%), and Indian (46%) respondents regarding China as harmful rather than beneficial in Asia.

Japanese citizens were most likely to consider their country's approach to China too lenient (59%), according to the survey.

Regarding AUKUS, while the survey identified support across all four nations for the nuclear-powered submarine partnership between Australia, Britain, and the United States, it emphasized that only about a quarter (27%) of Australians believe their government has adequately explained the necessity for these submarines.