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A majority of Americans are expressing concerns about President Donald Trump’s second term in office, according to a new poll — with some even going so far as to label him a “dangerous dictator.” The annual American Values Survey, released by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) on Wednesday, found that 62% of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, fueled by 92% of Democrats, 71% of independents and 24% of Republicans. The 68-point partisan gap between Democrats and Republicans is an all-time high, the poll revealed, while most respondents believe the economy (65%), the functioning of the federal government (65%) and the approach to undocumented immigration (57%) play a part. Per the poll, inflation remains a top concern among Americans, with 59% of respondents saying that the costs of housing and everyday expenses are critical. About half of Americans, or 49%, think health care is a central issue, in addition to the health of democracy (49%) and the protection of basic rights, including free speech (49%). Following behind are 43% for immigration, 41% for crime, 37% for jobs and employment, 30% for racial inequality, 28% for abortion, and 19% for the release of investigative files into late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Meanwhile, the majority of Americans disapprove of Trump’s overall job performance, with 56% expressing dissatisfaction, according to the poll. Eighty-six percent of Republicans approve of his time in office so far, compared to 32% of independents and only 8% of Democrats. On main issues, 44% of Americans support his handling of the border and 43% support his policies on immigration, as well as 39% of respondents in favor of both the economy and foreign policy. Majorities say that cuts to health care programs (60%), decreased funding to universities and research institutions (55%), the implementation of sweeping tariffs (54%) and increased funding for ICE to speed up arrests and deportations (52%) have gone too far. The poll also found deep divisions over Trump’s character, with 56% of Americans agree with the statement that Trump is “a dangerous dictator whose power should be limited before he destroys American democracy,” which is an increase from 52% of respondents in March. It comes in stark contrast to 41% of Americans who agree Trump is “a strong leader who should be given the power he needs to restore America’s greatness.” The responses, however, vary by political party affiliation, religion and race. While 91% of Democrats and 65% of independents agree with the first prompt, 82% Republicans agree with the second one. Seventy-three percent of white evangelicals, 54% of white Protestants and 55% of white Catholics believe Trump is a “strong leader,” compared to the majorities of other religious groups who cast the president as a “dangerous dictator,” such as 53% of Hispanic Protestants. Both political parties received poor ratings in the poll. Around four in ten Americans, or 39%, hold a positive view of the GOP, while 35% have a favorable view of Democrats. Many of these respondents argue that they are not representative of their interests and values, at 69% and 65%, respectively. The survey, which sampled 5,543 U.S. adults, was conducted online from Aug. 15 to Sept 8. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.79 percentage points.
