Survey finds most Asian Americans see Trump as a 'dangerous dictator'
[Source]
A majority of Asian Americans agree with most Americans in viewing President Donald Trump as a 'dangerous dictator' whose power should be limited to protect U.S. democracy, according to a national survey released on April 29 by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). The findings came as Trump marked the first 100 days of his second term in office.
Threat to democracy
The PRRI poll, conducted from Feb. 28 to March 20 among 5,627 U.S. adults, found that 52% of Americans overall view Donald Trump as a 'dangerous dictator whose power should be limited before he destroys American democracy.' In contrast, 44% see him as a 'strong leader who should be given the power he needs to restore America's greatness.'
Nearly 9 in 10 Democrats (87%) characterized Trump as a dangerous dictator, while 81% of Republicans described him as a strong leader. Independents were more divided, with 46% viewing him as a strong leader and 41% as a dangerous dictator.
Trending on NextShark:
Overall, 40% of Americans hold a favorable view of Trump, while 59% view him unfavorably. Favorability is highest among Republicans (83%), followed by independents (35%), and lowest among Democrats (8%).
Broader distrust of Trump
Among Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) respondents, 58% said Trump is a dangerous dictator — a rate higher than among white Americans (45%) and comparable to Black (67%) and Latino (63%) respondents.
Trending on NextShark:
Trump's favorability among AAPI respondents remains low, with only 22% holding a favorable view of him as of 2023. Favorability dropped to 17% among college-educated AAPI adults and 11% among those who are religiously unaffiliated.
Strong support for rule of law
Despite partisan differences in opinion about Trump, the survey found broad agreement on presidential accountability. Eighty-nine percent of respondents agreed that no elected official — including the president — should be above the law.
Trending on NextShark:
When asked about Trump's mass firing of federal employees across multiple agencies, 52% of Americans said it was an overreach of presidential power. Forty-seven percent said it was a legitimate use of authority.
Concerns about democracy
Melissa Deckman, CEO of PRRI, noted that concerns about the health of American democracy are widespread. While most Americans support democratic principles, 20% agreed with the statement: 'Because things have gotten so far off track, we need a president who is willing to break some laws if that's what it takes to save the country.' Among those who primarily consume far-right news sources, 50% agreed.
Trending on NextShark:
Seventeen percent of respondents said they would support postponing the 2026 midterm elections if Trump cannot resolve national crises. That view was backed by 27% of Republicans, 12% of independents and 8% of Democrats.
This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices.
Trending on NextShark:
Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what we're building, consider becoming a paid member — your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community.
Subscribe here now!
Download the NextShark App:
Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Upturn
3 minutes ago
- Business Upturn
Donald Trump confirms US-China deal done, says rare earth deal and 55% tariffs finalised
Donald Trump touts 55% tariffs and rare earth supply in pending China deal By News Desk Published on June 11, 2025, 17:56 IST Last updated June 11, 2025, 17:57 IST Former U.S. President Donald J. Trump on Tuesday announced via social media that a new deal with China has been reached, pending final approval from both himself and Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to Trump, the agreement includes upfront Chinese supply of 'full magnets' and 'any necessary rare earths' to the U.S. In return, the U.S. will uphold previously agreed terms, which Trump said include allowing Chinese students to continue studying at American colleges and universities — a relationship he described as 'always been good with me!' Trump emphasized that under the new deal, the U.S. will receive a combined total of 55% in tariffs, while China will get 10%. 'Relationship is excellent!' Trump declared in the post, adding thanks for attention to the matter. The post, shared on June 11, 2025, at 8:04 AM, comes amid ongoing geopolitical and trade tensions between the world's two largest economies. No official confirmation has yet been released by Chinese authorities or the U.S. State Department. News desk at
Business Upturn
3 minutes ago
- Business Upturn
U.S. President Trump says he has no hard feelings for Musk, leaves door open for reconciliation
By Aditya Bhagchandani Published on June 11, 2025, 17:40 IST U.S. President Donald Trump has downplayed recent tensions with Elon Musk, saying he holds 'no hard feelings' despite their very public feud over the past week. His comments come shortly after Musk posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he 'regrets some of [his] posts' about Trump, admitting, 'They went too far.' In an interview addressing the ongoing spat, Trump said he was surprised by Musk's criticism of the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act,' which the President described as 'phenomenal' and 'the best thing we signed in the country.' 'When he did that, I was not a happy camper,' Trump said, adding, 'I don't know what his problem is… I haven't thought too much about him in the last little while.' Despite the fallout, Trump appeared to extend an olive branch, stating, 'I think he feels very badly he said [those things]… I was disappointed in him, but it is what happens. I don't blame him for anything.' When asked about the possibility of reconciling with Musk, Trump replied, 'I guess I could, but we have to straighten out the country.' This marks a potential cooling in tensions that had escalated sharply in recent days. Musk had accused Trump of suppressing the Epstein files and labeled the tax proposal a 'pork-filled abomination,' prompting Trump to suggest pulling federal contracts from Musk-led ventures. Musk responded by threatening to halt NASA-related SpaceX missions and hinted that Trump owed his 2024 victory to Musk's influence. As of now, no direct meeting has taken place, but Musk's heart emoji response to Trump's earlier 'wish him well' remark has kept speculation alive about an eventual reconciliation between the two powerhouses. Aditya Bhagchandani serves as the Senior Editor and Writer at Business Upturn, where he leads coverage across the Business, Finance, Corporate, and Stock Market segments. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to journalistic integrity, he not only contributes insightful articles but also oversees editorial direction for the reporting team.
Fox News
7 minutes ago
- Fox News
Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' cracks down on Biden's student loan 'scheme,' top Republican says
The chairman of a key Senate panel is claiming victory against former President Joe Biden's student loan plans as part of President Donald Trump's "one big, beautiful bill." "The Biden administration was attempting to forgive student loans for people who willingly took on the loan and required the taxpayer, including people who never went to college and would never make what the person who took the loan would ever have the hope to make," Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., told Fox News Digital. "So we end that transfer of that student loan on the taxpayers, and that's probably our biggest savings." Cassidy's committee released its portion of the Trump agenda bill late on Tuesday. A press release for the legislation said it "ends Biden's student loan schemes that transfer debt onto the 87 percent of Americans who chose to not go to college or already paid off their loans" and "also prevents future Democrat administrations from implementing schemes." The bill specifically takes aim at Biden's expansion of Borrower Defense to Repayment regulations and Closed School Discharge regulations, which Republicans have held up as costly policies that shift federal student loan borrowers' burdens onto other taxpayers. Various versions of Biden's plans had previously been struck down in court. The bill would also eliminate federal Grad PLUS loans, a program used by graduate-level and professional students to pay for their studies, which can be used for graduate students' entire cost of attendance. It would instead keep in place a $20,500 annual limit for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans on graduate degrees, capped at $100,000 total, excluding undergraduate loans. For professional degrees, it keeps a $50,000 annual unsubsidized loan limit and a $200,000 total cap. The legislation is also aimed at cracking down on taxpayer funding subsidizing degrees from lower-performing universities. Colleges that see people with undergraduate degrees earn less than the typical high school graduate in their state, or graduate programs where attendees then earn less than the normal bachelor's recipient, would be blocked from federal student loan programs. "What we've got was a situation where people can borrow more money than they can effectively pay back, and that destroys their life, leaving them with a debt burden which keeps them unable to do other things in life. And there's at least some sense that universities offering these programs know that's the case. And so we attempt to fix that," Cassidy said. "So we have provisions that would say that if the degree being acquired does not end up paying more, the person receiving that degree doesn't get more on average than a person who did not get that degree, then the federal government is not going to lend them money." To encourage more people to pursue non-collegiate degrees, the bill would also establish a Workforce Pell Grant. Pell Grants are currently aimed at low-income students pursuing bachelor's degrees and are generally not repaid. "For example, a student gets a commercial driver's license. They're going to go out and make $100,000 a year after a couple of years of driving, I am told. And so we want to enable those people to accomplish that," Cassidy said. Foreign income would be taken into account when evaluating Pell Grants, while farm and small business assets would not, under the GOP bill. Those and several other measures in the legislation would add up to roughly $300 billion in taxpayer savings, Cassidy said. Senate Republicans are currently working through their version of Trump's massive agenda bill, which passed the House late last month. Republicans are using the budget reconciliation process to pass a sweeping bill advancing Trump's agenda on taxes, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt. They are also working to use it to bring down the national debt – nearing $37 trillion – with the aim of cutting $1.5 trillion in federal spending. Reconciliation allows the party in power to completely skirt the minority, in this case Democrats, by lowering the Senate's threshold to advance from 60 votes to 51. The legislation must adhere to a specific set of rules, however, including measures that deal with the budget, taxation, or the national debt. Both the House and Senate must agree to identical versions of the bill before it gets to Trump's desk for a signature. The House's version passed 215 to 214, and leaders there have implored the upper chamber to change as little as possible. Cassidy acknowledged there were some changes made but was optimistic about how they'll be met in the House. "There's several things, but one thing I think that they're going to like is that we do fully fund the Pell Grant program. You know, we address the shortfall there. And so I think they're going to like it," he said. "It's going to give low-income students access to career education. We need those kind of career type jobs to make sure that all this manufacturing and construction has a workforce to address it. And so we think it helps the needs of society. We think it helps the needs of the student." House and Senate GOP leaders had previously set a goal of having a bill on Trump's desk by the Fourth of July. Cassidy declined to comment on whether that was a feasible benchmark but argued that lawmakers should be ready to extend that timeline – and possibly shrink their summer recess – to get the final product. "As far as I'm concerned, the most important thing is to get it right. So if there is a delay, the president said it today – if there is a delay, that's not that big of a deal. The most important thing is we get it right," he said.
