Trump Supporters' Message to World on Gallup Poll: 'Get Used to It'

American leadership is polling low among world citizens, but that doesn't exactly worry supporters of President Donald Trump.

According to a Gallup poll, the country's rating among respondents fell from 48 percent approval in 2016 to 30 percent approval in 2018.

The last time the U.S. approval rating was so low was in 2008, when U.S. leadership under former President George W. Bush clocked in at 34 percent amid the economic wreckage of the Great Recession.

Trump supporters brushed off the poll results, saying it is time the world realized the "free ride" from the United States -- on trade, on defense spending and more -- is over.

"What a relief that @realDonaldTrump is not polling well in the world. Phew. Was worried he might resign to head the UN!" tweeted Ed Martin, a CNN contributor and a Missouri politico. "Out here in MAGAmerica, we're happy he's putting us first: economy, jobs, killing ISIS, judges."

Jason Miller, Trump's former campaign spokesman, said the Gallup poll shows Trump is not a pushover, and is, as he promised he would, demanding that America be listened to by the rest of the world.

"Of course certain countries upset America's no longer a pushover," Miller tweeted on Thursday. "(Trump) is cutting off funding for terrorists, making allies pay their fair share and putting American jobs first -- exactly what we elected him to do!"

And Laura Ingraham, former Reagan speechwriter, LifeZette co-founder, Talk Radio star and host of "The Ingraham Angle" on Fox News, said Trump's priority is to succeed -- for America.

"He didn't run to be liked by the world but to MAGA," Ingraham tweeted, referring to the acronym for Make America Great Again. "They said similar abt Reagan."

But Reagan biographer Craig Shirley had some worries because, he said, Trump needs allies in Asia and Europe to be more positive if he wants to build coalitions to handle North Korea and foes in the Middle East.

"There's strength in numbers," Shirley told LifeZette. "It's always better to be liked. Usually if you're not liked, you're not very well respected."

Predictably, Trump critics pounced on the poll, claiming it demonstrates that Trump has generated hatred against the U.S. overseas and diminished the traditional American role of strength in global affairs.

Critics also noted that Germany has replaced the United States as the nation drawing the highest approval rating, 41 percent, which is essentially the same level maintained by that country's leaders for a decade.

China drew a 31 percent approval rating and Russia only got 27 percent.

Overall, approval of U.S. leadership plunged in Latin America, Western Europe, Japan, Australia, South Korea and India.

Not was bad for Trump. Gallup found that approval for U.S. leadership increased 10 points or more in four countries: Liberia (+17), Macedonia (+15), Israel (+14), and Belarus (+11), as well as by smaller numbers in Poland, the Ukraine, Nigeria and Iraq.

Gallup did not poll in China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and a number of smaller nations.

PoliZette White House writer Jim Stinson can be reached at . Follow him on .

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