Donald Trump is basking in the supposed glow of recent endorsements from two of the weirdest people in politics—Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
Chief among their reasons for endorsing Trump: their anti-Ukraine sentiments and support for Vladimir Putin and Russia. It’s too bad the American electorate has diametrically opposed views.
A fresh University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll by the firm SSRS shows that bipartisan public support for Ukraine remains strong. Asked about where respondent sympathies lie in the current Russia-Ukraine war, Ukraine was picked by 76% of Democrats, 58% of Republicans, and 57% of independents. Only 4% of Republicans sided with Russia, which is a shocking result given the prominence of pro-Russia right-wing personalities like Tucker Carlson, Elon Musk, Alex Jones,and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
At best, those right-wing efforts to whitewash the Kremlin’s murderous invasion of Ukraine have created some confusion among their adherents; support for Ukraine should be at 100% and utterly divorced from any partisan taint. Despite those efforts, a clear majority of Americans (62%) support Ukraine compared to Russia (2%).
People rally to mark the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in Boston, Massachusetts, on Feb. 24, 2024.
Furthermore, 48% of Americans believe the U.S. should support Ukraine “as long as it takes,” including 63% of Democrats and 37% of Republicans—the highest percentage recorded in this tracking poll. In June and October 2023, the overall number was 43% and 45%, respectively, meaning support for Ukraine has grown. And the biggest growth demographic? Republicans, who went from 29% to the current 37%. The party’s own pro-Putin propaganda efforts are failing.
Yet Republicans nominated a ticket with views well outside of the American mainstream when it comes to Ukraine. Trump has promised to cut off aid to Ukraine if elected, and his running mate JD Vance has long been part of the pro-Russia crowd in the Senate.
With Kennedy and Gabbard now on board, Trump has further surrounded himself with some of the fiercest Putin defenders in American politics. Kennedy loves to repeat Kremlin propaganda, and Hillary Clinton was right about Gabbard back in 2019 when she said, “She’s the favorite of the Russians.”
They agree:
Most Americans don’t vote based on foreign policy, and the Russia-Ukraine War is no different. But the country’s generally pro-Ukraine sentiment does create an unflattering narrative for Trump as a candidate—one that ostensibly seeks to “make America great again” yet cozies up to some of the worst people on the planet.
One of the overarching Trump narratives is that he wants to be a dictator, modeled after his despotic heroes. Surrounding himself with Putin lovers isn’t a way to refute that as he places himself even further outside of the American mainstream.
