A majority of Americans do not believe US President Donald Trumps is capable of making “wise decisions” in negotiations with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, a new study has found.
Almost 60 percent of respondents in the Pew Research Center poll, conducted between Aug. 4 and Aug. 10, were unconvinced in the US leader’s deal-making prowess, which has been a big part of Trump’s personal brand, often pointing to a ghost-written book “Art of the Deal” with his name on the jacket.
On Friday, the two leaders will meet at a military base in Alaska to discuss what it will take to end Russia’s now 42-month-long full-scale invasion of Ukraine. (Trump repeatedly made a campaign promise that he would end it “in 24 hours” once he assumed office in January.)
“Fifty-nine percent say they are not confident that Trump can make wise decisions about the Russia-Ukraine war. Four-in-ten express confidence in him on this issue,” the think tank wrote about the results of their survey of some 3,500 American adults.
“The public also remains more likely to say Trump is favoring Russia too much (33%) than to say he is favoring Ukraine too much (6%). About three-in-ten (28%) say he is striking about the right balance. An additional 32% aren’t sure,” the pollsters noted.
Questions included:
- Is the US providing too much, too little, or the right amount of support to Ukraine? (Only 18 percent said “too much.”)
- Does the US have a responsibility to help Ukraine defend itself? (Respondents were fairly evenly split.)
- Is Russia’s invasion a threat to US interests? (About two-thirds said it was.)
“Since March, the share of Republicans who say the US has this responsibility has risen 12 points (23% then vs. 35% today) and is now on par with views in 2024. Two-thirds of Democrats say the US has this responsibility, essentially unchanged over the past year,” the pollsters pointed out.