Olympic opening ceremonies have traditionally served as unifying, apolitical occasions—providing athletes from across the globe an opportunity to present their teams prior to the start of competition.

However, when Vice President J.D. Vance was shown on the stadium’s large screen during the commencement of the 2026 Winter Games on Friday, clear sounds of booing and jeering erupted from the audience of 65,000.

Although President Donald Trump appeared to dismiss the incident, informing reporters aboard Air Force One, “That’s surprising because people like him…He doesn’t get booed in this country,” recent polling indicates that Vance is not the only one facing issues in Europe.

A survey released Feb. 6 found that positive perceptions of the U.S. among Western European countries have declined dramatically in recent months, following Trump’s forceful efforts to annex Greenland, his administration’s continuing trade conflicts with most European partners, and a long-standing disagreement over NATO’s future and European security.

Not surprisingly, Denmark experienced the most significant shift. Approximately 84% of Danish citizens now hold an unfavorable opinion of the U.S., up from 70% in November 2025 and an average of 36% during former President Joe Biden’s tenure. Merely 26% of Danes consider the U.S. an ally or friendly nation, compared to 80% in July 2023.

This pattern is evident throughout Western Europe, in nations previously regarded as U.S. allies. In Spain, just 39% regard the U.S. as a friend or ally, a decrease from 64%. In Germany, the figure stands at 41%, down from 65%; in Britain, 46%, down from 69%; and in France and Italy—53% and 52%, respectively—each declined from 67%.

Examining the data more closely reveals that European opinions of the United States are heavily shaped by their opinions of Trump. A January poll found that in Britain, only 18% of respondents hold a favorable view of the President, while in Italy and Spain, just 15% and 19% do, respectively.

This change has occurred alongside a shift in U.S. policy toward Europe. Early in Trump’s second term, it became apparent that the administration would approach Europe differently than previous administrations, and that Vance would emerge as a prominent critic of European policies. In a confrontational address at the Munich Security Conference in February 2025, Vance condemned European nations for their free speech policies and contended that the continent’s greatest threat was not Russia or China, but rather their own governments, which he viewed as excessively limiting free expression. The Trump administration also parted ways with European allies on issues including the Ukraine war, trade, and immigration.

Tensions between the U.S. and Europe have intensified in recent months as Trump escalated his campaign to obtain Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Following Trump’s refusal to exclude military force as a means to seize the island, the United States’ NATO allies cautioned that such a move would spell the end of the alliance. After military forces from Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and the Netherlands joined Denmark in joint exercises on the island, Trump retaliated by levying tariffs on all participating nations.

He eventually removed the tariffs after reaching a deal with NATO regarding the island’s future.