Trump, Netanyahu and Putin Face Waning Power as 40% Avoid News Amid Western Gloom
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 17
Trump, Netanyahu and Putin Face Waning Power as 40% Avoid News Amid Western Gloom
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 17
40% of people in about 50 countries said they sometimes or often avoid the news, underscoring a wider western pessimism that the article argues could ease if Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin lose power.
Trump is portrayed as politically vulnerable because economic pain and foreign-policy fallout could cost Republicans control of the House in November and possibly the Senate, sharply curbing his authority.
Putin faces pressure from a war that has killed an estimated 350,000 Russian soldiers, strained Russia’s economy and exposed military weakness, while Netanyahu heads toward an election due by end-October with his coalition under threat.
The article argues leadership change in Washington, Moscow and Jerusalem would not solve every structural problem, but could reduce war, democratic erosion and public despair across the West.
Could leadership changes in Russia and Israel spark greater global chaos instead of the hoped-for stability?
Can new leaders truly fix the West's crisis of hope, or are deeper systemic changes the only answer?
Waning Authority of Trump, Putin, Netanyahu in 2026: Western Trust in News and Democracy Hits New Lows
Overview
As of May 2026, the world faces growing instability as the power of key leaders—Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Benjamin Netanyahu—declines. Each leader struggles with falling public approval, domestic setbacks, and the impact of ongoing conflicts, which together fuel global uncertainty. Trump maintains strong support among Republicans but faces broad disapproval elsewhere, while Putin’s approval drops amid war and economic troubles. Netanyahu’s political future is threatened by security failures and shifting alliances. These challenges are interconnected, highlighting how the vulnerabilities of major leaders contribute to a more unstable and unpredictable global landscape.