A wide majority of the American public is concerned about President Donald Trump’s behavior and worries it could lead to an international conflict, according to a GW Battleground poll released Thursday.
The poll found that 71 percent of voters feel that Trump’s behavior “is not what I expect from a president” and 68 percent agreed that his “words and actions could get us accidentally involved in an international conflict.”
The poll also found that most Americans have a dim view of the country’s future. Sixty-three percent of registered voters polled said the country is on the wrong track and 56 percent had an unfavorable view of Trump. Forty-one percent of respondents viewed Trump positively.
Trump received more favorable marks for his handling of the economy, where half of those polled said they approved of his performance. A majority – 52 percent – also said he had so far delivered on his campaign promises.
Voters showed little optimism about congressional leaders. Only about a third of those surveyed viewed House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., in a positive light, and just 19 percent of voters had a favorable impression of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
The public generally has a more favorable view of Democratic leaders in Congress. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who mounted an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, was viewed favorably by 52 percent of voters polled and Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., viewed as a rising star in the party, was also viewed positively, although most voters had not heard of her.
Asked about hot-button political issues, 53 percent of voters said it was a good thing that Congress did not repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
Most voters – 55 percent – said Trump’s staff had behaved improperly regarding Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, but when asked about their view of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russian government to tip the election in Trump’s favor, 40 percent of voters had not heard of him.
The poll was created through a partnership between a Democratic and Republican pollster. The partnership is housed in the Graduate School of Political Management and the School of Media and Public Affairs.
The poll was conducted from Aug. 13-17 and had a margin or error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
