Where in the World Did People Want a Trump Victory?

Although several of the United States' international allies largely welcomed Biden’s victory in the presidential election, some people in other nations would have preferred a different outcome.

During his presidency, Donald Trump implemented his “America First” approach to foreign policy, prioritizing the interests of the United States over those of foreign publics, allies, and enemies alike. Given this translation of American exceptionalism into policy, it may come as a surprise that former President Trump managed to attract the support of any foreign public. However, that is exactly what occurred in Israel, Nigeria, and Taiwan. In these places, Trump’s loss in the recent presidential election was likely not greeted with the same positive reaction as in other regions. Public opinion polling reveals where these pro-Trump areas existed during his presidency and provides insights into how their support for him manifested itself.

One of the biggest strongholds for Trump-support was Israel, as suggested in a survey conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute’s Guttman Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research. Fielded from October 27-29, 2020 on a representative sample of the Israeli population, the survey found that most (63%) Israelis felt that Trump is more preferable than Joe Biden for Israel’s interests. Just 17 percent of Israelis saw Biden as being preferable to Trump. What may have influenced Israelis’ favorable views towards Trump is that a plurality of them (39%) expected a Biden presidency to weaken relations between Israel and the United States. Their views may also have been a product of the advantageous policies President Trump implemented in regard to Israel, like the Abraham Accords, shifting the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and a host of other actions. Moreover, the close relationship between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu probably gave a boost to Trump’s ratings as well.

A similar situation presented itself in Taiwan, another area of special concern for the Trump administration. During former President Trump’s tenure, the United States negotiated billion dollar arms sales with Taiwan, sent government officials to the island, and stepped-up naval patrols in the Taiwan Strait. The administration was also a persistent critic of the Chinese Communist Party, much to the delight of some in Taiwan. All of this attention may have translated into greater support for Trump from the Taiwanese public. A survey conducted by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation from October 19-20, 2020 of a random sample of 1,080 Taiwanese adults found that over half (53%) of the respondents looked favorably upon a Trump reelection. 32 percent of respondents did not look favorably upon it and 12 percent held no opinion. A poll conducted by YouGov from September 24-October 5, 2020 found similar levels of support for former President Trump, though in regard to a slightly different question. Surveying 1,033 Taiwanese adults, the poll found a plurality (42%) of respondents wanted Trump to win the election, while 30 percent said the same for President Biden. The remaining 28 percent of respondents did not offer an opinion.

Nigeria was another case of foreign public support for former President Trump. Unlike Taiwan and Israel, Nigeria did not receive the same sort of positive treatment as Taiwan and Israel experienced under the Trump administration. In fact, just the opposite occurred, with one example being the administration’s restrictions on immigration from the country. And yet, Trump held a solid support base there. According to a Gallup survey on global leadership conducted in Nigeria from September 16-October 27, 2019, a majority (56%) of Nigerian respondents noted that they approve of American leadership, with 13 percent expressing disapproval and 31 percent offering no opinion. Similar numbers of Nigerians expressed support for Trump in a Pew survey released last year. When asked about how much confidence they have in President Trump “to do the right thing regarding world affairs,” nearly six in ten (58%) Nigerian respondents expressed confidence, while three in ten (30%) expressed no confidence in the president. A number of reasons may have accounted for Nigerians’ support for Trump, but according to The Guardian, his supposed pro-Christian views and his often bombastic personality contributed to his support there.

More than just being interesting examples of foreign support for a controversial president, the cases of Israel, Taiwan, and Nigeria are valuable for understanding where and why President Trump was regarded favorably in the world. While America’s traditional allies welcome Biden with relief, this trio, at least, will miss Trump.