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Letter: America has lost the world’s respect under Trump

(Alex Brandon | AP file photo) President Donald Trump, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, gives thumbs up as he walks on the South Lawn as they depart the White House, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020, in Washington.

There was a time when American democracy was the envy of the world and we were, as Ronald Reagan famously said in his 1989 farewell speech as president, “A shining city on a hill.”

How the world has changed in three short years.

A Pew Research Center survey a couple of weeks ago graphically displays the distrust of Trump internationally. In a survey of 32 major countries around the world, a median of 71% indicated they had “no confidence in Trump to do the right thing in world affairs.” Even worse, the lowest ratings came from our NATO allies and closest trading partners. Mexico came in at 8%, Canada at 28%. In Europe, the median of 13 countries was 26%, including Germany 13%, France 20%, the U.K. (who recently elected their most right-wing government in decades) 32%. Turkey was 11% and Russia 20%.

At the end of his term, Obama’s ratings were roughly 30 to 50 points higher.

Frank Fish, Taylorsville

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