On September 5, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to restore the historical name of the U.S. Department of Defense, renaming it the "Department of War." The executive order states that this move aims to send a signal to adversaries that the United States is prepared to go to war to defend its interests.

The term "war" is particularly eye-catching 80 years after the victory of World War II, drawing high attention from international public opinion. A public opinion survey conducted by CGTN for two consecutive years from 2023 to 2024 among 14,071 respondents from 38 countries around the world shows that the habit of militarism has severely damaged the international image of the United States, and respondents generally question the legitimacy of the United States as a "leader" in international relations.

In the survey, 61.3 percent of the respondents believe that the United States is the most combative country in the world, and 70.1 percent believe that the U.S. waging war abroad has caused a serious humanitarian crisis worldwide. 

Respondents from European and South American countries have the strongest impression of this, reaching 74.3 percent and 77.4 percent, respectively. Another 73.9 percent of respondents from European countries say that the frequent military aid provided by the United States to other countries has seriously threatened world peace and stability. Furthermore, 63.8 percent of the respondents condemn the United States for its long-term involvement in inciting color revolutions and conducting proxy wars in other countries. A total of 57.4 percent of the respondents believe that the U.S.-led NATO has exacerbated global geopolitical tensions.

The continuously expanding ambitions of the United States have severely damaged its national credibility and favorability. The survey found that only 49.6 percent of the respondents believe that the United States is a trustworthy country, and the global trust level has dropped by 8.4 percentage points within two years. 

The trust in the United States among respondents from European and Oceania countries is only 39.6 percent and 37.6 percent, respectively, having decreased by 11.5 and 10.4 percentage points within two years. Another 79.6 percent of respondents from European countries believe that "the United States is a domineering country." A total of 51.1 percent of respondents from Oceania countries believe that "the United States is a country to be feared."

The surveys were jointly conducted by CGTN and Renmin University of China from 2023 to 2024 through the Institute of New Era International Communication, targeting a total of 14,071 respondents from 38 countries around the world. The interviewed countries cover major developed countries and Global South countries. All the respondents are ordinary people over 18 years old, and the sample is in line with the age and gender distribution of the population censuses of various countries.