Britons see US as threat to global peace, survey finds
Perception of the United States as a threat has more than doubled in two years, according to NatCen research.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
President Donald Trump stands on stage after speaking at a campaign rally at the Salina Regional Airport, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, in Salina Kan.
Photograph: HuffPost UK (embedded from source)
What this story says
- 74% of Britons now view the United States as a serious threat to global peace, according to the NatCen British Social Attitudes survey.
- This figure represents a more than doubling from 36% in 2024, with the perceived threat level rising significantly during Donald Trump's second term.
- The survey indicates a shift in British public opinion, with 42% favouring closer ties with western Europe over the US for national interests.
- For military and defence, 46% chose closer ties with the EU, compared to 10% for the US.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 6 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 7 of the 13 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
80/100
Craft
77/100
Hype
30/100
13 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
Only 1 of the 6 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
A significant majority of Britons now perceive the United States as a serious threat to global peace, according to the NatCen British Social Attitudes survey. The latest findings show 74% of respondents hold this view, a substantial increase from 36% in 2024. This heightened concern coincides with a shift in British public opinion regarding international relationships and defence.
The survey, conducted by the National Centre for Social Research, also found that 89% of Britons view Russia as a threat, 78% view Israel as a threat, 75% view Iran as a threat, and 62% view China as a threat. For the UK's best interests, 42% of respondents believe closer ties with western Europe are most beneficial, while only 9% favour closer ties with the US. When considering military and defence interests specifically, 46% opted for closer ties with the EU, whereas 10% chose the US.
Differing views on US threat level
While the NatCen British Social Attitudes survey states 74% of Britons consider the US a threat to global peace, one digest from Korrespondent.net reported that 62% of respondents consider China to be a threat to the world, 89% to Russia, 78% to Israel, and Iran. This digest did not specify the percentage for the US.
What the coverage left out
None of the centre-rated outlets covered this story. The right-rated report, a digest, did not mention the specific figure of 74% of Britons viewing the US as a threat, nor did it detail the increase from 36% in 2024. It also omitted the findings on closer ties with western Europe versus the US for national and defence interests.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 4 times, most recently on 5 Nov 2026, 12:45, and will add the sides that appear.
How other outlets pictured it
Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.
Donald Trump (AFP/Getty)
The Independent (US) — embedded from source
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
4 rated outlets
- The left-rated reports led with the finding that a vast majority of Britons, 74%, see Donald Trump's America as a serious threat to global peace. They highlighted that this perception has more than doubled since 2024. The reports quoted Sophia Gaston, foreign policy researcher and author of the report, who stated that "the post-Cold War peace that endured for so many years no longer shapes the country’s worldview." They also noted Gaston's observation that Britons have "undoubtedly become more favourable towards Europe" and that "in a clear break with the post-Brexit era, people have a clearer understanding of what the EU is and value practical ties in a world shaped by conflict." The Independent (US) and The Independent reports also included details on defence spending and generational divides on military service willingness.
Centre
1 rated outlet
We have not written our reading of the centre coverage of this story. The centre-rated outlets that ran it are listed below.
Right
1 rated outlet
- The single right-rated report, a digest from Korrespondent.net, mentioned that 62% of respondents consider China to be a threat to the world, 89% to Russia, 78% to Israel, and Iran. It did not specify the percentage of Britons who view the US as a threat.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Britons see US as threat to global peace, survey finds?
- Of the 6 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 67% are rated left, 16% are rated centre, 17% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 13. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Britons see US as threat to global peace, survey finds left or right?
- Too few of the outlets on this story carry a published leaning rating to say. 6 of them do, and this site does not characterise a field under 12: at that size one newsroom filing moves the share by ten points. The percentages above are the count as it stands.
- Is the coverage of Britons see US as threat to global peace, survey finds biased?
- Britons see US as threat to global peace, survey finds is one event reported by 13 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Britons see US as threat to global peace, survey finds?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Britons see US as threat to global peace, survey finds?
- 13 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What percentage of Britons see the US as a threat to global peace?
- According to the NatCen British Social Attitudes survey, 74% of Britons now consider the United States a serious threat to global peace. This figure has more than doubled from 36% recorded in 2024.
- How do British views on the US compare to other countries?
- The survey found that 74% of Britons view the US as a threat, which is lower than Russia (89%) but comparable to Israel (78%) and Iran (75%), and higher than China (62%).
- What are British views on international alliances?
- For general national interests, 42% of Britons favour closer ties with western Europe, compared to 9% favouring closer ties with the US. For military and defence interests, 46% chose closer ties with the EU, while 10% chose the US.
Read it at the source
13 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
4- Overwhelming majority of Brits see Trump's America as a serious threat to global peace - Left Foot Forward: Leading the UK's progressive debate (opens leftfootforward.org in a new tab)
leftfootforward.org — is leftfootforward.org biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Vast Majority Of Brits Now See Trump's America As A Serious Threat To Global Peace (opens HuffPost UK in a new tab)
HuffPost UK — is HuffPost UK biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Almost three-quarters of Brits view US as serious threat to world peace, survey finds (opens The Independent (US) in a new tab)
The Independent (US) — is The Independent (US) biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Almost three-quarters of Brits view US as serious threat to world peace, survey finds (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
1Right
1Not rated
7- Few Young Britons Are Willing to Defend the Country in War (opens Document in a new tab)
- Three Quarters of UK Public See Trump's America as the Threat to World Peace (opens Dorset Eye in a new tab)
Dorset Eye — is Dorset Eye biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Almost 75 Percent of Britons Consider the US a Serious Threat to Global Peace, Twice as Many as Two Years Ago (opens nin.rs in a new tab)
- ENEMIES ON ALL SIDES Almost 75% of Britons See the US as a Serious Threat to World Peace (opens srpskainfo.com in a new tab)
srpskainfo.com — is srpskainfo.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Survey: Nearly 75 Percent of Britons Consider the US a Serious Threat to Global Peace (opens nsuzivo.rs in a new tab)
nsuzivo.rs — is nsuzivo.rs biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Survey: Over 70% of Britons See US as a Serious Threat to World Peace (opens Unknown in a new tab)
Unknown
- Almost 75% Of Britons View US As Serious Threat To Global Peace (opens Great Yorkshire Radio in a new tab)
Great Yorkshire Radio — is Great Yorkshire Radio biased? Our profile of this outlet
How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
