In the months following Donald Trump's return to the White House, discussions surrounding U.S. foreign policy have surged, with over 453,900 mentions related to Trump across key ASEAN countries in just four months. The most social media activity came from users in Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines and online conversations across these three nations centred on major geopolitical events: Donald Trump's return, the Russia-Ukraine war, and US-China tensions.



In November, Thailand led ASEAN in social media mentions about Donald Trump by a significant margin of 53.3%, according to an exclusive report by media intelligence firm CARMA. Trump’s protectionist trade policies raised concerns in Thailand, as the US runs a trade deficit with the country. The cut in US foreign aid also made headlines, as Thailand hosts around 100,000 Myanmar refugees who rely on the aid, said CARMA. 

In Malaysia and Singapore, media mostly reported positively on Trump. Malaysian officials remained diplomatic in congratulating Trump but were wary of his protectionist trade policies, which could hurt the export-heavy nation.Similarly, Singapore, heavily reliant on U.S. trade and investment, faced diplomatic challenges, particularly regarding U.S.-China tensions.

However, media reports suggested that Singapore’s trade deficit with the U.S. might shield it from tariffs.

In both countries, media sentiment toward Trump was positive until his remark about "taking over Gaza." Malaysian outlets after that advised PM Anwar to help ease tensions between Trump and the Middle East, it said.

Trump's Push To End The Russia-Ukraine War
Before Trump’s Inauguration on January 21st , social media conversations about the Russia-Ukraine war was relatively low compared to after inauguration. Mentions surged during the US’s announcement of suspension of foreign aid, and Trump’s phone call to Putin to start peace talks on Ukraine.



Netizens praised Trump in committing to his campaign promise to keep the US out of foreign conflicts and instead focus on domestic issues. However, he was criticised for abandoning Ukraine to unilaterally dictate a potential peace deal with Russia.


Overall, in the months following Trump’s election, there was consistent negative coverage on this issue due to Trump’s policy in potential ending the war but with unfavorable terms for Ukraine.


Trump's Trade War With China

Trump also announced a tariff of 10% against China after his inauguration, resulting in a tit for tat response from China that ended with 15% retaliatory tariffs, as well as anti-monopoly investigations into Google.

Negative coverage saw a spike around February, due to the announcement of tariff against China.

Furthermore, China emerged as a challenger to US dominance in artificial intelligence development. DeepSeek’s release triggered an AI “sputnik moment” as China was able to lower the cost of operating AI as compared to ChatGPT and Nvidia, creating further tensions.

 

 

Social media discussions on China also covered the US-China AI race, trade imbalances, and differing commitments to global organisations such as WHO. This allowed China to take a larger role in international bodies. The AI race also sparked debates on tech supremacy, with China increasingly seen as a leader.


Trump's "Take Over Gaza" Comment

With regards to Gaza, while Hamas and Israel called a temporary ceasefire, Trump subsequently made a series of comments including plans to “take over Gaza” and proposed a mass relocation of Palestinians to nearby Arab countries.

Trump’s comments to “take over Gaza” were largely unpopular and received condemnations across the globe, leading to high negative coverage. However, social media mentions were more positive in February 2025 as compared to mainstream reports on this issue.

Social media mentions focused on the “Cyrus Accords,” an unofficial plan to transition Iran to democracy, according to CARMA.




Former Iranian crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, had a significant online presence and proposed a regime change for a free Iran to Trump on X.

"As Trump revives his 'maximum pressure' campaign, Iran’s government may face pressure to make concessions on its nuclear program to ease economic sanctions and prevent mass protests, which have historically been organised via social media," said CARMA. 

North Korea's Ties With Russia

In recent years, North Korea has strengthened its position on the international stage due to its military support for Russia in the war. Media coverage has mainly focused on Trump and his team’s plans to re-engage with North Korea, as it may not follow the same path as the historic Trump-Kim meeting in 2019, said CARMA. 

Social media conversations focused less on North Korea specifically and instead grouped it with key allies such as Russia and China. Mentions also highlighted Trump’s eagerness to meet Kim Jong Un and his goal of reducing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

After Trump’s election, positive sentiment peaked due to reports that Trump might block North Korea and Russia from strengthening economic ties.