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Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
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!
Axios
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Pope Leo's tall task: Healing Catholic America's political divide
Pope Leo XIV — the first U.S.-born pontiff, who is of Spanish and Creole descent and served in Latin America — is uniquely positioned to help ease deep divisions between the country's white and Latino Catholics. Why it matters: The new pope has been an outspoken defender of migrant rights, and his family's immigration story touches an issue that has split many U.S. Catholics along cultural and political lines. Zoom in: Those familiar with the former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost described him Thursday as an empathetic centrist with a measured approach that's tinted with humor. They imagined that he could help soften tensions within the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church, and beyond. Some even thought that the turmoil surrounding President Trump 's policies on immigration and other issues had made the surprise selection of an American pope more likely. "The upheaval of international order made clear by President Trump has made possible the impossible, meaning the papal election of an American citizen," Massimo Faggioli, a professor of historical theology at Villanova University — the new pope's alma mater — told CNN. Pope Leo's selection comes as the Trump administration is detaining and pushing to deport thousands of Latino immigrants, many of them Catholics. "There has been no more urgent issue for the American bishops than the deportation of tens of thousands of their Catholic, Latin American parishioners," Andrew Chesnut, the Bishop Walter F. Sullivan chairman in Catholic Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, tells Axios. White and Latino Catholics represent one in five Americans and are one of the most influential blocs among the world's Catholic faithful. White Catholics overwhelmingly approve of Trump's immigration policies, but few Latino Catholics agree, according to a survey released last week by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). The survey found that white and Latino Catholics are also far apart on a range of other social issues, including LGBTQ rights and diversity initiatives. The divisions among American Catholics have been exacerbated by Trump's policies, presenting a significant challenge — and an opportunity — for the new pope, Chesnut said. Between the lines: Robert P. Jones, president and founder of PRRI, tells Axios that Leo's rise could fuel interest in the church among lapsed Catholics in the U.S., where membership has been fading amid a jump in "religious nones" — those with no religious affiliation. Reality check: Attitudes toward Trump and immigration are deeply ingrained in American culture, making it difficult for a pope — even one from Chicago — to become a major influence beyond the church. But the history-making aspect of Leo's selection will draw many Americans' attention, at least for a while. The backstory: Pope Leo, 69, was born to a French-Italian American father who served in World War II and a Spanish American mother with roots in New Orleans Creole. He arrived in Peru on an Augustinian mission in 1985, and later directed the Augustinian seminary in the northern city of Trujillo for 10 years. He later became a Peruvian citizen, and maintains dual citizenship. The future Pope Leo said last year that it's "very important" for bishops to reach out to those on the margins of society and those who feel excluded, according to Vatican News.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's supporters do not regret their vote. Not even now.
A noticeable contingent of Kamala Harris voters has spent this year demanding that people who didn't vote for her — whether for Donald Trump or another candidate — admit to a mistake that's not only hurting the country but is hurting (or will hurt) them, too. Social media feeds are filled with people citing the latest Trump outrage and mockingly asking Trump voters, 'Did you vote for this?!' There's been a new category of schadenfreude-inducing stories focused on Trump voters who've lost their federal job, had a loved one snatched by ICE or significantly suffered during the first few months of the administration. On top of that, some recent polls have found that Trump's approval rating is below 40%. However, in the main, the Trump voter with buyer's remorse is a mythical character not unlike, say, the moderate Republican. The Public Religion Research Institute conducted a poll of more than 5,000 adults across 50 states between Feb. 28 and March 20 and found that 92% of Trump voters are satisfied with their vote. More than that, the PRRI poll finds that just about everybody who voted in November is satisfied with their decision, including 95% of Harris voters and 85% of people who voted third party. (PRRI reports a 1.69-point margin of error for its national survey.) It seems obvious why Harris voters are the least regretful; her losing the election erased the potential for her to make any disappointing presidential decisions. It is remarkable, though, that after Trump has fired thousands of blameless federal employees, antagonized allies, rattled the stock market, shrunk the economy, eliminated a number of lifesaving humanitarian aid programs, defied the courts and put Fox News know-nothings in positions of power a near-identical share of his supporters suggest that they'd happily vote for him all over again. But PRRI's poll is consistent with a poll released April 14 by the University of Massachusetts Amherst that found that only 2% of Trump voters polled answered yes to 'I regret my vote and would vote differently if I could.' And both those polls are consistent with a survey The New York Times conducted among a focus group last month that found that none of the 13 independent voters who voted for Trump in November regrets not voting for Harris. Not the person who feels 'bad' about the way things have been going. Or the one who's 'frustrated,' or the ones who feel 'pessimistic,' 'worried,' 'hopeless' or even 'lied to.' 'There's a lot of social media saying: Hey, are you Republicans or MAGA people regretting your vote?' a 'hopeful' 55-year-old Latino restaurant manager said. 'And no, I'm not. As far as I'm concerned, he's not doing enough.' When you read that Times piece, you may find yourself most struck by the 29-year-old Black construction manager in Texas who said he's happy that Trump has kept his promises, if only because the Texan then says, 'Although these are some hard decisions — a couple of friends that have been deported, stuff like that. So I'm sad at the same time.' It must warm his deported friends' hearts to hear that their buddy is kinda sad. I wasted my hard-earned money on some forgettable thing when I was young, and when I turned to my mom for comfort, all she did was shrug and say, 'Bought sense is the best sense.' I've come to agree with that, but I've also learned that a costly mistake doesn't necessarily confer sense upon the person who made it. Though inflation hit the whole world after the Covid pandemic — which started almost a year before President Joe Biden took office — higher prices, especially for food, were often cited by Trump supporters as reason enough to vote against Harris, Biden's vice president. But pain that was intolerable under Biden is apparently a welcome burden now. The Times' moderator asked that group of self-described independent Trump voters to spell out the limits of their tolerance for short-term pain: 'What percent increase in cost would you be OK with, if we were talking about groceries, rent, gas?' 'Maybe 5 percent, 10 percent?' a 38-year-old white homemaker in Utah said. 'Just kind of depends. It's not going to get fixed overnight. It's not even going to get fixed in four years of Trump. It's going to hurt extremely hard before we get through on the other side.' Would I be willing to pay more for food, gas and rent if I thought it would help bring about a better America? I would. Although it's unclear how paying more would bring about that better America. Furthermore, my better America wouldn't include cuts to cancer research, threats to Medicaid, a trillion-dollar Pentagon budget or a president who foments rage against the idea of diversity, equity and inclusion. Soon after the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, I suggested that Republicans genuflecting before Trump sounded like the title character in the biblical Book of Job who says of the Almighty, 'Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.' It seems even more true today. Consider Bradley Bartell, the Wisconsin Trump supporter whose Peruvian wife was snatched up by ICE at an airport despite the work the couple had put in for her to obtain U.S. citizenship. 'I've received a lot of hateful messages, plenty of people saying we deserve this,' he told Newsweek. But he said, 'I don't regret the vote.' Instead, he seemed sure Trump would realize that it's wrong for ICE to arrest folks like his wife and fix a broken system. His wife was released on $3,000 bond after 49 days in ICE custody. 'I understand Trump is doing his job as president,' Camila Muñoz said, 'but the cases should move more quickly if people aren't associated with a gang or don't have a criminal record.' Years from now, we'll likely still be struggling to understand this unyielding devotion to Trump by people being harmed by him. The answer may be more easily found in the study of psychology than in politics. But in the meantime, it seems futile to demand expressions of remorse from Trump's voters. They're all in. Even now. This article was originally published on
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
New poll shocker: Majority of Americans now view Donald Trump as a dangerous dictator amid mounting public concern
Donald Trump as a 'Dangerous Dictator,' New Poll Finds- A new nationwide poll has revealed a sharp shift in public opinion—a majority of Americans now describe Donald Trump as a "dangerous dictator" rather than a strong leader. The survey, conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), shows growing concern over Trump's second term in office, his sweeping use of executive powers, and his impact on democratic institutions. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack Pakistan reopens Attari-Wagah border to allow stranded citizens in India to return Key Jammu & Kashmir reservoirs' flushing to begin soon Air India sees Pakistan airspace ban costing it $600 mn over 12 months The poll, conducted between February 28 and March 20, included 5,025 adults and carries a margin of error of ±1.6 percentage points. The results come at a time when Trump's approval ratings have been dropping sharply, especially around issues like the economy, civil service firings, and new tariffs. Is Trump Losing Support Even Among His Own Base? According to the PRRI poll, 52% of Americans now believe Trump fits the label of a 'dangerous dictator whose power should be limited before he destroys American democracy.' Meanwhile, 44% still view him as a strong leader who should be given the power he needs to restore America's greatness. 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Container Houses Vietnam (Take A Look At The Prices) Container House Search Now These numbers break down along clear political lines: 87% of Democrats say Trump is a threat to democracy. 81% of Republicans see him as a strong leader. Among Independents, 56% describe him as dangerous, while 42% view him as strong. What's more striking is the shift among former supporters: Live Events 55% of voters who once backed Trump but now regret it say he's a dangerous dictator. 68% of nonvoters who regret not voting say the same. Even among all nonvoters, 54% now consider him a threat to democracy. These figures suggest that Trump's traditional base is showing signs of internal cracks, with regret and concern rising over his governing style. How Are Religion and Race Shaping Views on Trump? Religious identity continues to be a major dividing line in how people see Trump's leadership. He retains strong support among white Christian groups: 73% of white evangelical Protestants 66% of Latter-day Saints Majorities of white Catholics and white mainline Protestants say Trump should be empowered as a strong leader. But in contrast, communities of color and non-Christian groups are far more critical: 71% of Black Protestants 69% of Hispanic Catholics 65% of religiously unaffiliated Americans believe Trump is a dangerous authoritarian. Racial and educational divides also paint a similar picture: 67% of Black Americans, 63% of Hispanic Americans, 58% of Asian American/Pacific Islanders, and 56% of multiracial Americans say Trump is a threat. Among white Americans, opinion is more divided: 51% support him, while 45% say he's dangerous. Among whites without a college degree, 57% support him, but among college-educated whites, 56% call him a dangerous dictator. Age matters too. Except for the Silent Generation, at least half of every age group—including Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z—believe Trump is a threat to democracy. What Role Do Trump's Policies Play in His Falling Approval Ratings? Trump's approval rating is now the lowest of any modern president at this point in their second term, according to a CNN poll from April 17 to April 24. That includes Trump's own numbers during the same period in 2017. One of the key issues hurting Trump is the economy. On April 2, he launched sweeping 'Liberation Day tariffs' using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)—a 1977 law intended for national emergencies. The decision led to a temporary stock market crash, and although the markets partially recovered, public opinion hasn't. According to PRRI: 65% of Americans oppose the new tariffs, fearing higher consumer prices. That includes 93% of Democrats and even 34% of Republicans. Only 31% support the tariffs, despite arguments that they might protect U.S. jobs. Legal experts and lawmakers have argued that Trump misused the IEEPA, and now 12 states are suing his administration, saying only Congress has the power to impose tariffs. In another controversial move, Trump reinstated 'Schedule F,' an executive order he first signed in 2020. The order strips job protections from federal workers and has led to mass layoffs across federal agencies since his return to office. While President Joe Biden had rescinded Schedule F in 2021, Trump brought it back on Day One of his second term. Critics say this effort bypasses Congress's authority, violating the constitutional separation of powers. The PRRI poll found: 55% of Americans think Trump overstepped his authority with the firings. That includes 85% of Democrats and even 27% of Republicans. What Does This Mean for Trump Moving Forward? As Trump continues his second term, this poll signals a deepening divide across the country—not only between political parties, but across age groups, religions, races, and education levels. While he still commands loyalty from large parts of the Republican base, there's growing discomfort—even among some past supporters—about how much power he's wielding. With legal challenges piling up, economic discontent rising, and more Americans labeling him a 'dangerous dictator,' Trump may be facing one of the most difficult political moments of his presidency. FAQs: Is Donald Trump seen as a dangerous dictator by most Americans? 52% of Americans now view Donald Trump as a dangerous dictator, according to a PRRI poll. What actions by Donald Trump raised concerns about democracy? His mass federal worker firings and tariff orders have sparked legal and public backlash over abuse of power.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
More than half of Americans say Trump is a ‘dangerous dictator,' poll finds
A majority of Americans believe that President Donald Trump is a 'dangerous dictator,' according to a new poll, with sharp divisions across party lines. Fifty-two percent of all Americans agree that Trump is a 'dangerous dictator whose power should be limited before he destroys American democracy,' according to the survey conducted by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). As many as 87 percent of Democrats agreed with the statement, compared to 56 percent of independents and 17 percent of Republicans, Axios noted. Americans believe that Trump exceeded his authority with actions such as the mass removal of thousands of federal employees. The poll, released on Trump's 100th day in office on Tuesday, shows the president losing support on two issues that brought him to victory in November — the economy and immigration. The survey also found that only four in 10 Americans have favorable views of the president. The share of independent voters who agreed that Trump is a 'dangerous dictator' indicates that centrist voters who backed him in November may be stepping away from the president. The survey reveals deep dissatisfaction with Trump's efforts to deport immigrants, institute broad tariffs, assert control over institutions of higher education, and lay off more than 100,000 federal staff. The Trump administration has taken steps to end programs focused on diversity and equity, cancel student visas, and refuse to bring back a mistakenly deported man from El Salvador despite a court order to do so. Broken down by party affiliation, 83 percent of Republicans had a favorable view of the president, and the same was true for 35 percent of independents and eight percent of Democrats. Survey participants were alarmed by Trump's attempts to reshape the government, put in place tariffs, and deport people without due process. Sixty-seven percent of Black Americans agreed that Trump is a 'dangerous dictator,' compared to 63 percent of Latinos, 58 percent of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and 45 percent of white Americans. PRRI CEO Melissa Deckman told Axios: 'Most Americans view Trump in dictatorial terms, and I think most Americans are concerned that American democracy is on the line.' 'It's only been 100 days into the Trump administration, yet we've really seen a pushback among most Americans to the Trump agenda,' she added. However, 81 percent of Republicans agreed that 'Trump is a strong leader who should be given the power he needs to restore America's greatness.' A total of 51 percent of white Americans agreed with that statement. Deckman noted that Americans are evenly divided when it comes to Trump's immigration goals, even as the poll shows most disagree with practices that are considered inhumane or unconstitutional. Sixty-one percent of Americans disagree with the notion of putting illegal immigrants in internment camps guarded by the U.S. military as they await deportation. A majority agrees that Trump 'has overstepped his authority by ordering the mass firing of federal employees across multiple agencies.' Similarly, more than seven in 10 say they're against the drastic cutting of all major federal agencies, particularly if it will affect the safety of flying, as well as medicine and water. When it comes to tariffs, two-thirds are against new levies on imported goods.
