WEF Davos 2026: ‘The amount the world likes the US is diminishing,’ says journalist Nicholas Thompson
Davos 2026: "When Donald Trump is gone in three years and we have a new president, how will the world think of America," asked Thompson.
- Jan 23, 2026,
- Updated Jan 23, 2026 10:04 AM IST
America is not very popular across the world right now, and the brand ‘US’ might be further diminishing, said Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic at the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos. He said Trump is not very popular in the US also right now, and he will be tested in the midterms.
Speaking to Business Today, Thompson said, “Donald Trump is not very popular in America, 36 per cent of people approve of him. Far less popular in the world. Definitely change the perception of America in the world. When Donald Trump is gone in three years and we have a new president, maybe it's JD Vance, maybe it's somebody else, how will the world think of America? Will it be ruptured forever? Will it be completely different forever? I don't know. That's a question that a lot of people have in Davos.”
Thompson’s remarks came as Trump continued his heavy-handedness with the US allies, the latest being the European Union over the annexation of Greenland.
“There's a sense that the amount that the world likes America is diminishing. Like the brand of America is diminishing around the world and you can feel there's some places where it's up. Like a lot of Venezuelans are happy with America right now, but for most of the world there's a sense that we're now a rogue nation. And what's very interesting is that if you look at the kind of autocracy versus democracy, United States versus China, it used to be the United States and its European allies. That's a much bigger coalition than just the United States,” he said, adding that Trump is making it seem like since the stock market is up, things are okay. “I think the world sees it pretty differently,” he said.
Thompson said Trump will be tested in the upcoming midterms. “You know, he will be tested and American democracy might be tested,” he said. Thompson said that while Trump joked about not needing midterms anymore, one should not take it as a harmless joke.
“Donald Trump, the other day, said we might not need to have midterms. He was kind of more joking, but sometimes you have to take his jokes seriously. So, if we have free and fair midterms, which I think we will, he will be tested. If the Democrats win either the House or the Senate or both, that will change the dynamics in America. It won't suddenly make Trump recessive and quiet and change the kind of speeches he gives, but it'll change his ability to sort of run straight through things,” elaborated Thompson.
Watch the full conversation here:
America is not very popular across the world right now, and the brand ‘US’ might be further diminishing, said Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic at the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos. He said Trump is not very popular in the US also right now, and he will be tested in the midterms.
Speaking to Business Today, Thompson said, “Donald Trump is not very popular in America, 36 per cent of people approve of him. Far less popular in the world. Definitely change the perception of America in the world. When Donald Trump is gone in three years and we have a new president, maybe it's JD Vance, maybe it's somebody else, how will the world think of America? Will it be ruptured forever? Will it be completely different forever? I don't know. That's a question that a lot of people have in Davos.”
Thompson’s remarks came as Trump continued his heavy-handedness with the US allies, the latest being the European Union over the annexation of Greenland.
“There's a sense that the amount that the world likes America is diminishing. Like the brand of America is diminishing around the world and you can feel there's some places where it's up. Like a lot of Venezuelans are happy with America right now, but for most of the world there's a sense that we're now a rogue nation. And what's very interesting is that if you look at the kind of autocracy versus democracy, United States versus China, it used to be the United States and its European allies. That's a much bigger coalition than just the United States,” he said, adding that Trump is making it seem like since the stock market is up, things are okay. “I think the world sees it pretty differently,” he said.
Thompson said Trump will be tested in the upcoming midterms. “You know, he will be tested and American democracy might be tested,” he said. Thompson said that while Trump joked about not needing midterms anymore, one should not take it as a harmless joke.
“Donald Trump, the other day, said we might not need to have midterms. He was kind of more joking, but sometimes you have to take his jokes seriously. So, if we have free and fair midterms, which I think we will, he will be tested. If the Democrats win either the House or the Senate or both, that will change the dynamics in America. It won't suddenly make Trump recessive and quiet and change the kind of speeches he gives, but it'll change his ability to sort of run straight through things,” elaborated Thompson.
Watch the full conversation here: