Nearly twice as many Americans consider U.S. President Donald Trump a "dictator" compared to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to a new poll.
Since taking office a month ago, Trump has significantly shifted his stance on the war between Ukraine and Russia, abandoning the policies of the Joe Biden administration, writes Newsweek. Recently, Trump reportedly referred to Zelensky, who has long been a key ally of the U.S., as a "dictator."
What the Poll Revealed
In a YouGov poll conducted on February 19 among 4,071 Americans, respondents were asked whether they consider Zelensky, Trump, and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin to be dictators.
41% of those surveyed see Trump as a dictator, while 45% disagree. Among women, this figure is higher (46%) than among men (35%).
The divide is also evident along party lines: 80% of Republicans believe Trump is not a dictator, whereas 68% of Democrats are convinced otherwise. An additional 14% of respondents were undecided.
When it comes to Zelensky, 22% agreed with the assertion that he is a dictator, 45% disagreed, and 33% were uncertain.
Among Democrats, 63% believe Zelensky is not a dictator, while only 15% think differently. Republican opinions were split: 36% were undecided, 31% said "no," and 33% answered "yes."
What We Know About Trump's Recent Remarks
Earlier, UNIAN reported that Trump lashed out at Zelensky, claiming he is a "modestly successful comedian and dictator without elections." "Imagine, the modestly successful comedian Volodymyr Zelensky convinced the United States to spend $350 billion on a war that cannot be won, that should never have started, but which he, without the U.S. and 'Trump', will never be able to end," Trump wrote.
Moreover, according to him, although Russia attacked without reason, Zelensky said the wrong things. "Russia could have been easily dissuaded from this," noted the U.S. President.