National

US no longer viewed as Australia's most important ally

Jun 23, 2026

Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump (file images) — Australians are turning their backs on America as confidence in the US president plummets. -AAP Image

Australians have nominated the nation's relationship with China as more important than its partnership with the US, as trust in Donald Trump hits a record low.

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Some 51 per cent of respondents to the 2026 Lowy Institute Poll said Australia's partnership with Beijing is more vital than the bond with Washington, marking an eight-point rise from the previous year.

Confidence in the US president to do the right thing in global affairs stands at 21 per cent, the lowest level for any American leader in the survey's 22-year history.

Six in 10 Australians say they have "no confidence at all" in Mr Trump.

But support for the US alliance has endured and, despite experiencing a drop, almost three in four people say the relationship is important for the nation's security.

Only 20 per cent of respondents said they had confidence in Chinese President Xi Jinping to do the right thing.

However, he recorded a modest four-point rise in trust since 2025.

Two-thirds of people say they support Australia's acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS partnership.

A growing number of Australians (39 per cent) are in favour of obtaining nuclear weapons in the future, representing a three-point increase since people were last polled on this question in 2022.

A record number of Australians said they feel unsafe in the world, and were growing anxious about societal change, report author and research fellow Charles Lyons-Jones said.

"The largest single movement on any societal question in the poll's 22-year history is on cultural diversity," he said.

"The proportion of Australians who say that cultural diversity has been good for the country has fallen 17 points over the past two years, a shift without precedent in our polling."

But almost three quarters of Australians still view cultural diversity as entirely or mostly positive.

Support for democracy remains strong with 73 per cent of respondents answering it is preferable to any other system of government.

More than half of people (55 per cent) say the total number of migrants coming to Australia is "too high".

Lowy Institute executive director Michael Fullilove said the liberal international order had been "replaced by something illiberal, nationalistic, and disorderly".

More people said China (39 per cent) has the most influence in the Pacific compared to Australia (33 per cent).