More than half of Americans say Donald Trump is a “dangerous dictator” in an explosive poll heralding more bad news for Australia’s “MAGA” Opposition leader Peter Dutton.
According to the US-based Axios, 52% of Americans agree with the statement that President Trump is “a dangerous dictator” whose “power should be limited before he destroys American democracy”.
The poll, of 5,025 US adults, found 17% of those who vote Republican agreed with the statement, as did 87% of Democrat voters. Of those who voted Independent, 56% agreed.
The Axios poll, released coinciding with Trump’s first 100 days in office, was conducted for Axios by the non-partisan Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI).
“(Donald Trump) is a dangerous dictator whose power should be limited be limited before he destroys American democracy” — say 52% of Americans, Axios poll
Another poll, by YouGov, shows Trump’s “net approval rating” has slumped into negative territory since taking office for the second time.
Starting significantly lower than Joe Biden in 2021 — and dramatically lower than Barack Obama, in his first term in 2009 — Trump’s net approval rating has plunged, and is now at negative 13%.
Source: YouGov/The Economist
A seperate YouGov poll, conducted for London’s The Times, shows “widespread dissatisfaction” with the first 100 days of Trump’s second presidency.
“Only 37% of Americans give Trump’s first 100 days a grade of excellent or good. 59% rate it as fair or poor,” You Gov states.
“The disapproval of Trump extends from major issues, especially his handling of tariffs and government workers, to less-substantive ones such as golf and the Oval Office”.
According to the Axios poll, Donald Trump is now seen as a “dangerous dictator” by most Americans. Source: Axios
Dutton and the Liberal Party embraced Trumpism and “MAGA” on the back of Trump’s victory, but have more recently sought to backpedal, as the US President’s popularity has tumbled.
“Dutton and the Liberal Party embraced Trumpism but have recently sought to backpedal”
In early February, shadow attorney-general Michaelia Cash said Trump’s tariffs showed he was “a man of action”, telling Nine Entertainment, Australians would get “the exact same attitude under a Peter Dutton Government”.
“They’ll get the exact same attitude under a Peter Dutton Government” — Michaelia Cash
“Exact same attitude” as Trump, Cash said three months ago. Source: SMH
The polls come as The Klaxon can reveal Dutton is refusing to distance himself from senior Liberal Party figure Warren Mundine, who, along with Liberal Senator Jacinta Price, has pushed a “make Australia great again” mantra.
As revealed by The Klaxon two weeks ago, Mundine — at a conference of the US “Conservative Political Action Group” in Maryland in February — declared his desire to “make Australia great again”, before donning a cap with the slogan.
Hours earlier — prompting the leader of France’s far-right National Rally to cancel his planned appearance — former Trump advisor Steve Bannon had thrown a Nazi-salute on stage at the conference. (National Rally leader Jordan Barella said he “took the immediate decision” to cancel speaking at the event.)
When contacted by The Klaxon, Dutton refused to respond when asked whether he considered it appropriate for Mundine to have fronted the event after Bannon’s Nazi salute.
Dutton also refused to respond when asked whether he considered Bannon’s action was “appropriate”.
“Dutton is refusing to distance himself from ‘make Australia great again’ push”
How The Klaxon broke the story last month. Source: The Klaxon
The Australian arm of the group, CPAC Australia, is closely tied to disinformation group “Advance”, whose biggest funder last financial year — by a factor of ten — was the Liberal Party.
Late last month, standing beside Dutton at an election rally, Liberal Senator Jacinta Price similarly declared her desire to “make Australia great again”.
When quizzed about the statement, Price accused media of being “obsessed with Donald Trump”. Dutton did not comment, by his National’s leader colleague, David Littleproud, declared it a “slip of the tongue”.
The next day, an image surfaced of Price at Christmas wearing a “Make America Great Again” cap and holding a miniature Donald Trump Christmas decoration.
Jacinta Price and her husband Colin Lillie at Christmas. Source: Facebook
Since taking office Trump has waged a global tariff war, which threatens to thrust the world’s biggest economy into recession; freed supporters jailed over the US Capitol insurrection; attacked judges and the media; and repeatedly threatened long-time allies.
The US polls underscore the problems facing Dutton, whose conservative Liberal Party is down in the polls ahead of Australia’s federal election, to be held Saturday.
On Monday, Canada’s Conservative Party failed to win that country’s federal election, despite earlier — before Trump’s re-election — having long been ahead in polls.
Since being swept to power in November, Trump has threatened to annex Canada and make it America’s “51st state”.
CPAC Australia celebrating “Australia Day”. Source: CPAC Australia/Facebook
The leader of Canada’s Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, not only lost the election, but lost his seat.
Dutton faces the possibility of a similar fate, with polling showing his chances of holding his Queensland seat of Dickson extremely tight and within the statistical margin of error.
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Refusing to answer: Questions put to Opposition leader Peter Dutton.
CPAC Australia is funded by Advance and associated US-style dark money outfit, the “Institute of Public Affairs”, which refuses to say who funds it.
Last financial year the Liberal Party gave Advance $500,000, according to Australian Electoral Commission disclosures, which was ten times more than its next biggest donations, of $50,000.
The Liberal Party has repeatedly refused to respond when asked about its funding of the disinformation group, which most recently has been spreading hate and disinformation about the Indigenous Welcome to Country.
As revealed by The Klaxon Tuesday, the Liberal Party gave more to Advance last financial year than the Labor Federal Government spent on Welcome to Country ceremonies over its entire three-year term.
“The Liberal Party was the biggest funder of ‘Advance’ last financial year, by a factor of ten”
Former Trump senior advisor Steve Bannon at the CPAC event. Source: Facebook
Support for Dutton’s Coalition has slumped since the start of the election campaign.
According to the last YouGov poll before the election, Dutton’s Coalition is headed for the worst result in the Liberal Party’s 80-year history.
It predicts a 97% chance Labor will be returned to power, with the Coalition’s chances of success at 1%.
Yet both the ALP (31.4%) and Coalition (31.1%) are projected to record lower primary votes than the last election, according to YouGov, with voters abandoning the major parties.
The pollster predicts One Nation will win no seats, the Greens will secure three seats — and Independents will win 14.
Respondents citing Donald Trump as a reason for not voting Coalition soared over 20% in two months. Source: Resolve Political Monitor
Last month a Resolve Strategic poll listed the “biggest hesitations or concerns” people had “in voting for the Coalition and Peter Dutton”.
In third place, behind Dutton’s “personality as leader” and “a lack of policy detail”, was that “the Coalition will follow the examples being set by Donald Trump”.
Of those Australian’s surveyed, 34% said their biggest hesitation in voting for the Liberal Party was it following “examples being set by Donald Trump”.
That was up from 28% who said the same in February — an increase of 21% over the period.
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Thank you,
Anthony Klan
Editor, The Klaxon
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