Even though most people in the western world are right Donald TrumpAfter returning to the White House, India’s reaction was completely different. The Munich Security Report 2026 presents the Indian public’s view of U.S. President Donald Trump, characterized by relatively high approval of his policies, growing concerns about U.S. economic coercion, and declining confidence in the need for U.S. global leadership.About 38% of Indian respondents believe Trump’s policies are good for India, and about 36% believe these policies are good for the world. These levels of consent are significantly higher than in Canada, France, Germany and Japan, where consent levels generally remain in the low teens
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According to MSI, India ranked among the most favored countries when respondents were asked whether “Donald Trump’s policies are good for our country” and “good for the world.”The report noted that compared with the Western public, Indian respondents were less critical of Trump and more likely to express conditional or partial support for his approach, even if there is still uncertainty about its global impact.While India has relatively few negative views on Trump’s geopolitical impact, the report documents greater concerns about its economic policies. The Trump administration imposed a 50% tariff on India. With the recent India-US trade deal, the additional 25% tariff was reduced to 18%.The report said that between 2024 and 2025, the United States’ risk score for India increased by 18 points, the largest increase among India’s risk scores. Despite this increase, the United States does not rank among India’s top perceived threats. China remains a higher concern, while Russia is seen as relatively low risk.The findings are based on the Munich Security Index (MSI), which surveys public attitudes in the G7 and major global South countries.
The era of “wrecking ball politics”
The report sees Trump as a central figure in the era of “wrecking ball politics”, characterized by challenges to multilateral institutions and the post-1945 liberal order. In the case of India, the report underscores long-standing suspicions of the Western “rules-based order,” which policymakers criticize for selective application and double standards.The report cites External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s assessment that from the perspective of the Global South, the existing order often appears “anarchic and full of double standards”. Against this backdrop, the report suggests that Trump’s challenge to existing institutions is not generally viewed negatively in India.
