Donald Trump has spent every moment of his first 18 months in office kissing up to Russian President Vladimir Putin, but that lovefest appears to be over.
According to a new poll from the Russian Public Opinion Research Center, 71 percent of Russians have a negative view of the U.S. president. Just 10 percent have a favorable opinion of Trump.
This is a stunning finding given the fact that Trump has heaped praise on Vladimir Putin and continues to fulfill Moscow’s wishlist – all while turning a blind eye to Russia’s 2016 attack on U.S. democracy.
Majorities in Russia call Trump dangerous, self-centered
What’s driving such strong Russian distaste for the U.S. president is their belief that he is self-centered, dangerous and untrustworthy.
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A screenshot of the results:
The poll’s findings show a pretty stunning turnaround in Russian support for Trump. Before the election, in fact, all of the G20 countries wanted Hillary Clinton to win – except for Russia.
Now, they seem to recognize what the rest of the world has known all along: Trump is a dangerous narcissist.
Nobody respects this president
Under Trump, respect for the United States has deteriorated quickly. Once-strong relationships with American allies like Canada, France and Germany have all been left in tatters by the current president.
Meanwhile, Trump has chosen to bow to American foes like North Korea and Russia – giving away the store and ignoring their transgressions – because the two authoritarian leaders know how to play the president like a fiddle.
Ultimately, the longer Trump is in the White House, the more America is looked at as a laughingstock – even among the people that helped elect him.
None of this is likely to matter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has Trump right where he wants him – in a position of weakness – heading into Monday’s summit with the U.S. president.
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
