Poll finds Americans concerned as Trump accelerates global intervention

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Consider This from NPR

Episode: Poll finds Americans concerned as Trump accelerates global intervention
Date: January 9, 2026
Host: Mary Louise Kelly
Guests: Domenico Montanaro (Senior Political Editor), Jackie Northam (Senior International Affairs Correspondent)
Theme: Examining the shift in US foreign policy under President Trump’s second term, its impact on global affairs, and how Americans and the world view these developments—with fresh insights from a new NPR/Ipsos poll.

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode unpacks President Trump's significant departure from his original "America First" promises to a much more aggressive and interventionist foreign policy in his second term. The discussion explores the domestic and international responses to these policies, especially after the US ousted Venezuela's president, and analyzes findings from a recent NPR/Ipsos poll revealing Americans' conflicted views on the nation’s role in global affairs.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Policy Shift: From Isolation to Intervention

• Opening Context:
  • Clips of Donald Trump’s past speeches (00:00–01:04) juxtapose earlier “America First, not globalism” rhetoric with recent aggressive international moves—e.g., ousting Venezuela’s president, threatening Iran, military action in Yemen, Syria, Nigeria, and even annexation talk about Greenland and Canada.
• “There’s no question that in his second term, Donald Trump is entirely unbound and he’s eager to throw America’s weight around in the world.”
  – Mary Louise Kelly [01:12]

2. Public Opinion: Americans’ Ambivalence on World Leadership

• Poll Results (NPR/Ipsos):
  • 61% say the US should be a moral leader, but only 39% think it actually is—down from 60% in 2017. [04:17]
  • Nearly half of Americans prefer that Washington “should stay out of other countries’ affairs.” [01:04, 04:17]
  • Contradiction within the Republican base: 67% support use of military force, but 56% also say the US should steer clear of other nations’ affairs.
    “...his party’s rank and file are seemingly fine with military action, [but] might not be okay with running the country long term.”
    – Domenico Montanaro [05:08]
• Partisan Lens:
  • 75% of Democrats and 60% of independents think the US has lost global influence, but only 25% of Republicans agree. [07:47]

3. World Perspective: Allies Anxious, Trust Erodes

• Muted Official Responses, Public Anxiety:
  • European and Indian analysts note leaders are cautious not to antagonize Trump, but public concern is palpable.
  • “When you hear people on the radio, they are worried. They say, but what is next? You know, can they really invade Greenland? What will happen? What should we do? Are we going to send troops there?”
    – Sylvie Kaufman, Le Monde columnist relayed by Mary Louise Kelly [05:59]
• Strained Alliances:
  • US actions in Venezuela and talk of Greenland prompt NATO and allied countries to question future relations and alliance stability. [06:13]
• Deeper Analysis:
  • Early in Trump’s second term, world leaders viewed his actions as transactional. But experts now see a more ideological push to “exercise US power” beyond profit or leverage.
    “...America had actually not exercised its power correctly. Quite extraordinary. And I think the rest of the world is beginning to see that.”
    – Pratap Mehta, Center for Policy Research [06:58]
  • Jackie Northam notes interviews with analysts in several countries who now use the term "enemy" for the US, underscoring how trust and goodwill have eroded globally. [07:13–07:22]

4. Influence and Shifting Priorities

• Changing Priorities:
  • Only 16% of Republicans now say the US should prioritize promoting democracy and human rights—a major shift from previous GOP platforms focused on democracy promotion and countering communism. [08:33–09:13]
  • Two-thirds of Republicans feel the US should focus its foreign policy on “enriching” the country, whereas most Democrats and half of independents prioritize democracy/human rights. [08:33]
• Global Influence:
  • 57% of Americans believe China has gained in global influence while the US has declined. [07:22]

5. The Road Ahead: Uncertainties and Risks

• Foreign Policy in Flux:
  • Trump's upending of the post-WWII world order shifts the US toward regional/hemispheric dominance reminiscent of colonialism.
    “He’s been able to convince his base that this is the way to go, in part because Americans don’t care as much about foreign policy compared to, say, the economy as a voting issue.”
    – Domenico Montanaro [09:24]
• Potential Risks:
  • International relations professor Michael Cox warns of “the classical overreach of hubris, to use the old fantastic Greek word...and that’s not going to do anybody any good. It therefore becomes a rather dangerous moment.” [10:20]
  • Jackie Northam cautions that Trump’s ambitions are not assured—domestic issues could still undermine them. [10:32]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Yeah, there’s one thing. My own morality, my own mind.”
  – Donald Trump, on what might limit his global actions [03:36]
• “There’s quite a lot of emotion about this...Can they really invade Greenland? What will happen?...Are we going to send troops there?”
  – Sylvie Kaufman via Mary Louise Kelly [05:59]
• “It’s actually quite remarkable how much he seems to believe that...America had actually not exercised its power correctly. Quite extraordinary.”
  – Pratap Mehta, Center for Policy Research [06:58]
• “There’s a danger...of the classical overreach of hubris, to use the old fantastic Greek word, and that’s not going to do anybody any good. It therefore becomes a rather dangerous moment.”
  – Michael Cox, LSE [10:20]

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Key Timestamps

• 00:00–01:12: Trump’s shift from isolationist rhetoric to aggressive foreign action
• 04:17: Poll results on US moral leadership and influence
• 05:21–06:22: International response: global concern, alliance worries
• 06:58–07:47: Analysts’ insights—shift from transactional to ideological, US seen as “enemy”
• 08:33–09:13: Shifted GOP priorities in foreign policy
• 09:24–10:32: Big-picture risks, hubris, and future uncertainty

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Conclusion

The episode illuminates a stark transformation in US foreign policy under Trump’s second term, backed by military interventions and a willingness to discard the rules-based global order for American supremacy. Americans themselves are deeply conflicted: while most want the US to lead morally, few believe it is, and partisan divides shape every aspect of public opinion. US allies are nervous, trust is evaporating, and experts warn that unchecked ambition may herald instability ahead. As the world recalibrates around America’s unpredictability, the stakes—and the anxieties—are higher than ever.

Transcript

[Donald Trump]

The most important difference between our plan and that of our opponent is that our plan will put America first.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

When Donald Trump first ran For President in 2016, he promised a focus on domestic issues.

[Donald Trump]

Americanism, not globalism, will be our credo.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

He offered a vision for American foreign policy and he vowed to keep the US out of global conflicts.

[Donald Trump]

We must abandon the failed policy of nation building and regime change.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

But in his second administration, a shift Trump has ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

[Donald Trump]

We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Threatened Iran for its suppression of recent protests.

[Donald Trump]

If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they're going to get hit very hard by the United States.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Talked about annexing Greenland.

[Donald Trump]

We need Greenland from a national security situation. It's so strategic.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Trump has launched military strikes on terror targets in Yemen, Syria, Nigeria, while threatening to annex Canada, retake the Panama Canal and more. There's no question that in his second term, Donald Trump is entirely unbound and he's eager to throw America's weight around in the world. Stuart Patrick is a specialist on world order and international cooperation at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He says Trump is waving aside rules based international order in his effort to ensure U.S. dominance. And that's worrying Americans. According to a new NPR Ipsos poll, nearly half of Americans say Washington, Washington should stay out of other countries affairs. And while the poll also finds that Americans want the US to be a moral leader in the world, far fewer actually think it is. Consider this, in his second term, Trump's foreign policy is dramatically reshaping the global geopolitical landscape. So how are people reacting inside the US and beyond? From NPR, I'm Mary Louise Kelly.

[Domenico Montanaro]

This week on Up first, the Trump administration and Venezuela. Can the U.S. run a foreign government as the president says, they simply may not adopt the policies that Trump would like to see. It's a complex, fast moving story. As always. We're working overnight and every night so you can start each morning knowing what matters. Listen up first on the NPR app or wherever you get podcasts.

[NPR Podcast Announcer]

NPR's podcast Trump's terms is your source for same day updates on big news about the Trump administration. Short focused episodes, one topic at a time, about five minutes or so. We carry out reporting from across all of NPR's coverage so you are always getting the biggest, most urgent stories. Listen to Trump's Terms on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

It's considered this from npr. President Trump raised eyebrows when he told the New York Times there was only one thing that could stop him on the global stage.

[Donald Trump]

Yeah, there's one thing. My own morality, my own mind.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

So what do Americans think about the moral standing of the United States? Well, a new NPR Ipsos poll released today finds Americans still want the US to be a moral leader in the world, but far fewer think it actually is. To make sense of what that means and hear what else Americans told us in this poll, I am joined by NPR senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. Hi there.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Hey. Great to be with you.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

And senior international affairs correspondent Jackie Northam. Hey, Jackie.

[Jackie Northam]

Hi, Mary Louise.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Domenico, just walk us through key findings of this poll. What did we learn?

[Domenico Montanaro]

Well, the survey, we should say, was conducted before the US Military action in Venezuela, but it is more about Americans broader sentiment on foreign policy. And it shows some really notable shifts from a similar survey conducted nearly a decade ago. On the question of moral leadership, like you were talking about, 61% say the US should be the world's moral leader, but only 39% think that it actually is. And that's down sharply from 60% in 2017. One more point. There's a seeming contradiction that stood out to me among Republicans thinking about Venezuela here. Two thirds of them say that the US should not hesitate to use military force, but 56% say that the US should stay out of the affairs of other countries. So it's a warning sign for Trump going forward on Venezuela. His party's rank and file are seemingly fine with military action, might not be okay with running the country long term.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Wow. Some really interesting shifts from a decade ago. Okay. That's how Americans view this moment. Jackie, what about everyone else? How is the world looking at, say, America's involvement in Venezuela?

[Jackie Northam]

Well, I talked to a number of analysts in the UK France, and in India just to get a sense of how the Venezuela operation was being viewed. And, you know, there was muted reactions from a lot of governments, in part because leaders don't want to annoy Trump. But people in many countries are very worried, not only about the disrespect for international law, but more broadly is where does this stop? Trump is talking about acquiring Greenland, even by force, certainly in Cuba, Colombia, Mexico. I spoke with Sylvie Kaufman, and she's a foreign affairs columnist at Le Monde in Paris, and she said, that's a real concern for people.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

There's quite a lot of emotion about this. When you hear people on the radio, they are worried. They say, but what is next? You know, can they really invade Greenland? What will happen? What should we do? Are we going to send troops there?

[Jackie Northam]

And of course, Mary Louise, allies are wondering if relations with the U.S. you know, alliances such as NATO will hold up if something does happen in Greenland.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Say more about that, Jackie. Beyond Greenland, beyond Venezuela, how allies are trying to navigate relations with the U.S.

[Jackie Northam]

It'S a real challenge. It has throughout, you know, this first term. It seems if a country does something Trump doesn't like, he'll retaliate, like with increased tariffs or sanctions. I spoke with Pratap Mehta, and he's a senior fellow at the center for Policy Research in Delhi. And he says at the beginning of Trump's second term, a lot of leaders thought this action was simply transactional. He's after resources or money. But Mehta says a year on, they see there's something else driving Trump's actions.

[Domenico Montanaro]

It's actually quite remarkable how much he seems to believe that part of the problem with America's relations with the world is that America had actually not exercised its power correctly. Quite extraordinary. And I think the rest of the world is beginning to see that.

[Jackie Northam]

And that's led to a real erosion of trust in the U.S. mehta says. You know, in fact, two of the people I talked with used the term enemy.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Yeah, it's really remarkable to hear, you know, people using the term enemy. You know, domestically, half say that the US has lost influence worldwide wide in this survey, while 57% say China, who's also seen as the leader in technological.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Development, has gained it Domenico on that. Do we know how much is specific to President Trump, how much this reflects things being viewed through the partisan lens in this very partisan moment?

[Domenico Montanaro]

Yeah, really a lot. I mean, when you look inside those numbers, almost three quarters of Democrats and six in 10 independents think the US has lost influence around the world, compared to just a quarter of Republicans who think so, too. Just like with so many things in US Society, things are viewed through this lens of Trump, whether it's the economy or. Here we're talking about foreign policy, and we see that show up in this survey on everything from military intervention, American moral standing, whether the US should give humanitarian aid to other countries, whether the US should prioritize democracy and human rights, or thinking about Venezuela. Again, whether foreign policy should focus on enriching America and Americans.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Yeah, stay with what you just raised about democracy and human rights and whether American foreign policy should focus on prioritizing that versus enriching Americans. What does the survey say?

[Domenico Montanaro]

Well, on whether foreign policy should focus on enriching the country. Two thirds of Republicans say it should, compared to just 29% of Democrats and less than half of independents who said that promoting democracy and human rights are more of a priority again for Democrats now. And that's something Trump seems to have shifted quite a bit from the way the GOP used to talk about international intervention. It's not that long ago that Republicans were talking about the need for the US to spread democracy and counter communism, to tout freedoms and VOT. But in this survey, only 16% of Republicans say that those things should be the priorities compared to a majority of Democrats. Instead, it's way more transactional for Republicans.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Just fascinating. Okay, so big picture question. I'll throw it to both of you. How should we think about where U.S. foreign policy may go from here? Domenico, you first.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Seems very much in flux. You know, we've seen Trump upend the post World War II World Order. He's moving towards something that is more about regional and hemispheric strength, an idea that really dates back to colonialism. He's been able to convince his base that this is the way to go, in part because Americans don't care as much about foreign policy compared to, say, the economy as a voting issue. This survey, for example, found 61% say that they follow domestic politics at least fairly closely, compared to just 43% who say the same of international affairs. So after events like Venezuela, the messaging to a domestic audience is so key because certainly Trump's base is convincible.

[Jackie Northam]

And Jackie, Trump certainly is embracing force to advance US national security interests and likely feels pretty confident after what appears to be a successful military operation in Venezuela. But, you know, I spoke with Michael Cox, and he's a professor of international relations at the London School of Economics, and he says Trump could be too confident.

[Domenico Montanaro]

There's a danger now, it seems to me of the classical overreach of hubris, to use the old fantastic Greek word, and, and that's not going to do anybody any good. It therefore becomes a rather dangerous moment.

[Jackie Northam]

You know, Mary Louise Cox says none of Trump's ambitions are a given. You know, there are many things, including domestic problems, that could undermine Trump's actions.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

NPR's Jackie Northam and Domenico Montanaro, thanks to you both.

[Domenico Montanaro]

You're welcome.

[Jackie Northam]

Thank you very much.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

And for more on NPR's coverage of the changing world order, you can put world reordering in your search engine. This episode was Produced by Kai McNamee with Audio Engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Vincent Knee, Nick Spicer and Sarah Handel. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. And a thank you to our Consider this Plus listeners who support the work of NPR journalists and help keep public radio strong. Supporters also hear every episode without messages from sponsors and unlock bonus episodes of Consider this. You can learn more at plus.NPR.org. It's Consider this from npr. I'm Mary Louise Kelly.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Want to hear this podcast without sponsor breaks? Amazon prime members can listen to Consider this sponsor free through Amazon Music. Or you can also support NPR's vital journalism and get consider this [e-mail] that's plus.NPR.org.