Majority of Americans think Trump mishandling Russia: Reuters/Ipsos poll

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Majority of Americans think Trump mishandling Russia: Reuters/Ipsos poll

By Damon Darlin and Chris Kahn

 

Protesters rally outside the White House in Washington, U.S. on July 16, 2018 after U.S. President Donald Trump's return from Helsinki, Finland. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

 

(Reuters) - More than half of Americans disapprove of the way U.S. President Donald Trump is handling relations with Russia, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted after his controversial summit and joint news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

 

However, Trump's performance at the Helsinki summit, where Trump refused to blame the Russian leader for meddling in the 2016 U.S. election and cast doubt on the findings of U.S. intelligence agencies, did not seem to have an impact on his overall approval rating.

 

Forty-two percent of registered voters said they approved of Trump’s performance in office in the latest opinion poll, compared with a daily average of between 40 and 44 percent so far in July.

 

The poll found that 55 percent of registered voters disapproved while 37 percent approved of his handling of relations with Russia.

 

Among Republicans, 71 percent approved of his handling of Russia compared to 14 percent of Democrats.

 

Trump still enjoys broad support among Republican voters despite criticism from party leaders about his words and actions while standing alongside the Russian leader answering questions from reporters, the poll results showed.

 

Trump surprised even his supporters when he praised the Russian leader during the news conference for his "strong and powerful" denial of meddling.

 

On Tuesday, Trump attempted to calm the political storm following his remarks, saying he misspoke at the news conference and had full confidence in U.S. agencies. But he appeared to veer from his script to add: "It could be other people also - there's a lot of people out there," he said.

 

A majority of registered voters, 59 percent, agree with the conclusions of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia attempted to influence the U.S. election, the Reuters/Ipsos poll found. But only 32 percent of Republicans think that is true compared to 84 percent of Democrats.

 

The Reuters/Ipsos poll also revealed a distinct split among Republican and Democratic voters over whether Russia should be considered an adversary of the United States.

 

Overall, 38 percent of registered voters agreed that Russia is an enemy of the United States. About the same percent considered Russia "a competitor" while 8 percent said it was "a friend."

 

However, half the Democrats said it was an enemy while only about one in three Republicans considered it so.

 

Forty percent of Democrats described Russia as an imminent threat while only 14 percent of Republicans agreed.

 

Overall, 27 percent of registered voters considered Russia an imminent threat. Only North Korea got a higher response on that question, 31 percent.

 

The poll also asked Americans whether they think authorities will find evidence of an illegal relationship between the Trump administration and Russia. A slim majority, 51 percent, said it was likely, while 77 percent of Democrats and 19 percent of Republicans did.

 

The same general split was true when asked if Trump or someone from his campaign worked with Russia to influence the 2016 election. Overall, 52 percent of registered voters agreed. But 81 percent of Democrats said that was true versus 19 percent of Republicans.

 

The Reuters/Ipsos poll gathered responses from 1,011 registered voters throughout the United States, including 453 Republicans and 399 Democrats. The poll has a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of 4 percentage points.

 

(Written by Damon Darlin; Editing by Mary Milliken and Grant McCool)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-07-18

[pegman 5,168]

So, 71% of Republicans approve of Trump's dealings with Russia do they. Just goes to show Trump isn't the real problem with that country. 

[longtom 749]

Now I really believe Trump could kill someone on 5th avenue and his approval rate would still be the same. And the temerity to call the sane majority 'sheeple' is just mind-boggling.

 

Sent from my ASUS_X008D using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

 

 

[spidermike007 22,219]

There are an awful lot of Trump devotees that continue to wear blinders, and refuse to embrace objectivity, when it comes to their master. No matter what he does. But, my guess is that if Putin revealed what he had on Tiny Don, they might be humiliated and disappointed. He is very, very scared of Putin. Shows in every aspect of his behavior. The level to which he kisses King Vlad's butt is unprecedented. He is such an abject failure on any measurable level, as president. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK 17,001]

The Republican numbers in this poll result, which was done AFTER Trump's summit performance, are SHOCKING!

 

The Republican Party I've known for my entire life and what it stood for, much of which I've never agreed with especially on domestic and social policy, has lately vanished and been replaced by this bizarre, alternate facts, head in the sand cult of unreality.

 

It's a worrisome reminder that the U.S., despite having a 200+ year history as a democratic nation, has no guarantee that it will continue to be so in the future, especially when so many Americans these days are supporting undemocratic, authoritarian, lying to your face leaders like Trump and Putin.

 

[Juan B Tong 2,320]

Meh!

 

Just fodder for the anti-Trumpers.

[pegman 5,168]

2 minutes ago, Juan B Tong said:

Meh!

 

Just fodder for the anti-Trumpers.

Yup, stick with your cult before country buddy.

[klauskunkel 17,291]

25 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

There are an awful lot of Trump devotees that continue to wear blinders, and refuse to embrace objectivity, when it comes to their master.

They are riding the tiger and can't get off. Som nam na.

[lannarebirth 6,752]

A majorityof people have decide that shit stinks. Well, that's progress.

[TallGuyJohninBKK 17,001]

13 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

A majority of people have decide that shit stinks. Well, that's progress.

 

Well, not really...  That majority you refer to only exists because Democrats still outnumber Republicans in the U.S.   But a large majority of Republicans still think Trump's sh** smells just fine!  And that's the scary part!

 

And that's even AFTER a fair number of right wing beacons like Fox and its commentators told them that Trump had stunk up the place.  Dementia truly has set in.

 

 

 

 

[spidermike007 22,219]

1 hour ago, klauskunkel said:

There are an awful lot of Trump devotees that continue to wear blinders, and refuse to embrace objectivity, when it comes to their master.

 

They are riding the tiger and can't get off. Som nam na.

I think it more akin to chasing the dragon. The first hit is always the best. It is all downhill from there!

[dunroaming 7,017]

How he sits there and lies over and over again is mind boggling!

[Jonnapat 1,233]

Surely not only mishandling Russia.

Everything he touches turns septic.

Never has the US been held in such low esteem by one man.

[TallGuyJohninBKK 17,001]

1 hour ago, dunroaming said:

How he sits there and lies over and over again is mind boggling!

 

Simple... force of habit.... and... lack of any conscience.

 

Put those two together, and it's easy!

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK 17,001]

Here's the really strange part beyond Trump, or maybe because of Trump:

 

AFAIK, the following Republican figures/entities have gone on the public record as confirming that they believe Russia interfered in the 2016 Presidential election and would be trying to do it again:

--Senate Majority Leader

--House Speaker

--House and Senate Intelligence Committees dominated by Republicans

--Most if not all of Trump's military/intelligence related Cabinet members....

 

And yet.... But according to this poll, only 32% of Republicans believe it.  What alternate facts world are they living in???   When are they going to wake up???  It's not like this should be some partisan issue for disputing.

 

http://time.com/5340060/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-summit-russia-meddling/

 

But because Trump can't bring himself to publicly acknowledge the pretty much universally accepted truth, two-thirds of Republicans don't believe it.

 

Do they know something more about Russia than the U.S. intelligence community, the Republican congressional leadership, Trump's own cabinet members, etc etc?  Or they've all just decided to put partisanship ahead of their country and its interests...