Donald J. Trump was sworn in as President of the United States on January 20th, 2025. Living in the US we can see how our own citizens feel about the new President, but how do some countries in Europe, feel about Trump retaking office?
Leann Clarke is a UK resident and says she aligns with the Labour Party, which is “Left of the centre party in the UK and currently in power.”
She says “I personally align with them because I feel that they are trying to reduce the inequalities and make the country fairer for all.”
According to her, the Labour Party will try to work with the incoming US administration. “I’m not sure their views align, but they both recognize the strong relationship we have had over the years and seem to want to maintain that.” This is backed by her statement that “Sir Kier Starmer (Prime Minister) seems to be trying to maintain a friendly relationship with Donald Trump.
She had this to say about her personal feelings about the US administration. “It worries me. Sometimes the things that are said and done don’t appear to be based on evidence or facts. This then feels as if anything can be done based on a whim or particular view of a few people who may not be representative of the citizens of the US.”
She feels her view is the same as most of the UK. “[The UK public] are watching, waiting, and hoping that the US administration uses its influence to achieve positive outcomes based on evidence and by listening to the people who will be affected by these decisions.”
Her statements reflect a poll done by YouGov UK which shows that 61 percent of Britons wanted Harris to win with only 16 percent wanting Trump to win.
In another study done by YouGov UK, of 1335 Britons polled, 27 percent said they are unhappy with his re-election because he was convicted of a crime. Another seventeen percent said it’s because of his “misogynistic” attitudes. Those are the top two issues Britons have with Trump, with there being a slew of other concerns.
I’ve been on vacation to the UK two times, where I stayed with a good family friend. I stayed with them for a week before going on a tour of the whole country, and my experience after the tour tells me that despite not liking the US president, the UK public in general doesn’t wish any ill will towards the US public or the US as a whole. During my time in Britain, I was treated nicely by the people I interacted with while doing activities such as shopping, dining, and visiting tourist attractions.
In the UK I had a discussion with the family friend about politics in the US and UK. He expressed gratitude for the cooperation that the US and UK have had over the years and how both countries have helped each other, despite the fact that he doesn’t always like what the US president does. While having other interactions in shops and tourist attractions, no one was ever really hostile; most people had some genuine interest in asking questions about where I’m from and what I think about the UK.
I think most UK citizens would say that they dislike the way the US political landscape has changed recently. However, generally I don’t think they would feel negatively about the US public.
