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Do American on The Motte feel that the country is generally in favour of breaking from its old European alliances? I am not sure I have got that sense when visiting but I've visited only fairly D-leaning areas in recent years.
From the British/European point of view, one has the sense from current reporting that a significant rebalancing is happening, one that I would characterise as going beyond wanting to reduce American spending on e.g. Ukraine, and towards decisively breaking with European countries out of gut dislike, and beginning instead to form either a US-Russian alliance of sympathies, or if not that, then at least a relationship with Russia that is rhetorically much friendlier than that with Europe. I think the fear is starting to take root in Europe that the US would effectively switch sides in return for Russia granting it mineral rights in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. This heel turn seems unlikely, but things are murky enough that it is worrying people.
I feel that this rebalancing is already working in a way towards achieving stated Trump goals – it certainly is succeeding in restoring Europe's appetite for military spending (underinvestment here is one thing Trump has been consistently right about but European leaders have buried their heads in the sand on, hoping he'd go away). But the current situation re Ukraine is also sending confusing signals, as it had previously seemed as though the US wanted Europe to step up and be part of a solution for Ukraine, whereas currently it seems they actively want to stop Europe from having a role in peace talks. The motive for this appears to be stopping Europe from asking terms of Russia that would delay a solution the US and Russia find jointly satisfactory, though perhaps there is more going on beneath the surface.
I did not have the impression that the American population generally has gone through this kind of Europe->Russia realignment in their hearts, Russians still being a regular foil for the good guys in movies (said movies coming from liberal-leaning Hollywood, sure). I have the impression that moving towards Russia is an aspect of foreign policy that Trump has not built domestic support for. But maybe this is wrong. Maybe the average American now thinks not only "Europe should contribute more to solve their own defence problems", but furthermore, "Europe should get its nose out of international affairs and attempt to help only when it's spoken to. We, Russia and China are in charge now."
I'm writing this without especially detailed knowledge of foreign policy, but I'm more interested here in the emotional calibration of ordinary Americans generally. What outcomes would they accept, what outcomes are they afraid of, who do they feel warm to and who not, and to what extent do they feel entirely insulated from global events, alliances and enmities?
I think we're experiencing a restoration of what was the typical attitude of Americans to Europe. You are asking for American Vibes, so what I say may not be representative but it is how it appears to my family:
The first American settlers knew that they were leaving behind a continent full of aristocratic in-fighting, abuses of human dignity, and religious persecution. When Americans first crafted their government, they did so in response to European governments. They were explicitly thinking, "This is what went wrong in Europe (mostly England and France) and here's how we're going to avoid it."
However, that still puts Europe in a privileged position in America. They're our foil. We didn't create a government in opposition to Chinese governance, or Ottoman governance. We were Europeans trying to improve upon European political theory.
Throughout American history, there was this tension. At first we were the underdogs. Later, we became partners, and imagined ourselves the saviors in global conflicts. We watched, amused, as Europe started to "catch up" to us in freedom. While they didn't have anything close to a Bill of Rights, they did seem to start to understand the value of Free Speech, a justice system centered on the rights of the accused, etc.
However, we were always aware that they didn't see things as we did. European rights and freedoms were not absolute, they still have "sovereigns" who aren't explicitly the citizenry, etc. We have a lot in common - more in common than the rest of the world - but we are not the same. We can be on the same side, but our priorities will be different.
In the past 20 - 30 years, there has been a movement in the US to see Europe as "Just like us, only better." Leftist commentators looked at Europe and said, "They have gay marriage and haven't fallen apart yet, we should have gay marriage." They looked at Europe and said, "They have paid maternity leave, we should too." Subsidized Healthcare, vacation days, worker protections, regulations. America was no longer ahead of Europe, we were behind it. Despite of being the center of culture, technology, and economics, we were told that we were a backwater. "The world hates America." These voices gained influence over time and seemed ascendant during Obama's presidency.
The American people are tired of this messaging. We are tired of snobby Europe who prioritizes their citizen's low retirement ages over their contractual defense obligations and then mocks us for working into our 80s while we foot the Global Peace Bill. We are tired of being lectured to by the Sages of Government Intervention and Safetyism while they prosecute people for praying silently in the wrong places. We especially don't want America to grow any more similar to Europe as it is now.
Most Americans don't have any love of Russia. Most Americans would probably agree that Russia shouldn't have invaded the Ukraine. But most Americans are pragmatic, and understand that prolonging this conflict isn't going to right that wrong. I see America as more pragmatic than Europe in general.
But I think that is the extent of it. America is not actively hostile to Europe. If Trump doesn't want Europe at the bargaining table, it might be because he thinks they will fuck it up. There are some concessions that will have to be made, and Europe has proved that they find it more convenient to throw Ukrainian males at the problem to delay making these concessions.
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