Views of Republican Presidents: Donald Trump, George W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan By a wide margin, President Donald Trump is substantially less popular than past Republican presidents George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan. Only 38% of Americans report a favorable view of Trump, while a majority (56%) of the public express an unfavorable opinion of him. In contrast, a majority of Americans have a favorable view of George W. Bush (53%) and Ronald Reagan (65%). Public views of Trump are also strikingly different from how George W. Bush1 (61% favorable) and Ronald Reagan2 (70% favorable) were viewed at a similar time in their presidencies. Among Republicans, all three Presidents are highly regarded. Roughly eight in ten (79%) Republicans report a favorable opinion of Trump, while 85% hold favorable views of Bush and 91% hold favorable views of Reagan. Notably, Republicans are more likely to have “very favorable” views of Trump than Bush (44% vs. 32%, respectively). However, 61% of Republicans feel very favorable towards Reagan. Trump is viewed far more negatively among nonwhite Americans than previous Republican presidents. Only 16% of black Americans view Trump favorably—fewer than half of the number who have favorable opinions of Bush (34%) and Reagan (49%). Only about one in five (21%) Hispanics view Trump favorably—half the number who view Bush (47%) and Reagan (50%) favorably. Nearly half (46%) of white Americans have a favorable view of Trump, while nearly six in ten (59%) have a favorable view of Bush and nearly three-quarters (72%) view Reagan favorably. There is a significant education divide among whites, especially in opinions about the current president. Trump is viewed much more favorably among whites with no more than a high school education (54%) than he is among whites with a four-year college degree (34%). Bush is viewed about as favorably among whites who have no college experience (60%) and those with a college degree (59%). Reagan is also viewed favorably by both whites with a high school degree or less (73%) and those with a college degree (73%). Similarly, there is a substantial gender divide in views about Trump that is absent in views of Bush and Reagan. Men are significantly more likely than women to have a favorable opinion of Trump (44% vs. 31%, respectively). Conversely, more than six in ten (62%) women feel negatively towards Trump, compared to about half (51%) of men. Majorities of men and women have a favorable view of Bush (52% vs. 54%, respectively) and Reagan (67% vs. 63%, respectively). White evangelical Protestants maintain positive feelings toward all three Republican presidents. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of white evangelical Protestants have a favorable view of Trump, compared to 78% who view Bush positively and 92% with a favorable opinion of Reagan. Although Bush is viewed somewhat more positively than Trump overall, white evangelicals are more likely to express a very favorable opinion of Trump than Bush (36% vs. 26%, respectively). The gender divide in views of Trump is also evident among white evangelical Protestants. More than three-quarters (76%) of white evangelical Protestant men feel favorably towards Trump, compared to 57% of white evangelical Protestant women. Reagan vs. Trump: Who Represents Republican Values? Among Republicans, Reagan is seen as the better representative of the party’s principles and values than Trump. More than two-thirds (69%) of Republicans say Reagan better represents the core principles and values of the GOP, compared to about one-quarter (24%) who say Trump better represents the party’s values. Among Republicans there are modest divisions by age and education. Republicans with a high school education or less are more likely than those with a college degree to say that Trump best represents the GOP’s principles and values (33% vs. 13%, respectively). Perhaps surprisingly, Republican seniors (age 65 or older) are also more likely than those under the age of 50 to say Trump is the best representative of Republican values (36% vs. 20%, respectively). Even Republicans who hold a favorable view of Trump say that Reagan is a better exemplar of Republican Party values and principles than Trump (63% vs. 30%, respectively).

Views of Russia and Vladimir Putin Americans express generally negative feelings about Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Nearly six in ten (58%) Americans express a negative opinion of Russia, while only one-quarter (25%) have a positive view. Views have grown only slightly more negative since 2013, when 54% of the public reported feeling unfavorably toward Russia.3 The modest rise in negative sentiment was driven nearly exclusively by Democrats. More than two-thirds (68%) of Democrats express a negative view of Russia, compared to about half (51%) who reported feeling this way in 2013. Republican feelings toward Russia have been stable, with about six in ten (59%) expressing unfavorable views of Russia today and in 2013 (58%). The views of independents also remained largely unchanged during this period, with a majority (52%) expressing an unfavorable opinion about Russia today versus 53% in 2013. There are only modest differences by race and ethnicity. About one-quarter (27%) of white Americans, compared to about one in five black (20%) and Hispanic (19%) Americans have a positive impression of Russia. Notably, there are no significant educational differences among whites. Among religious groups there is a consensus of opinion about Russia. More than six in ten black Protestants (66%), white Catholics (65%), and white evangelical Protestants (63%), and majorities of religiously unaffiliated Americans (57%) and white mainline Protestants (57%) have an unfavorable view of Russia. Young Americans are less likely to express hostility toward Russia. More than one-third (34%) of young adults (age 18 to 29) report having a favorable view of Russia, compared to only 18% of seniors. Half (50%) of young adults, but nearly seven in ten (69%) seniors, express an unfavorable view. Vladimir Putin is viewed even more negatively than Russia. Roughly two-thirds (66%) of the public say they have an unfavorable opinion of the Russian leader while only 15% view him positively. Nearly one in five (19%) Americans offer no opinion or report being unfamiliar with Putin. Strong majorities of Democrats (77%), Republicans (65%), and independents (63%) have an unfavorable view of Putin. Notably, half (50%) of Democrats have a very unfavorable view of him, compared to 31% of Republicans. Russia: Enemy or Ally Only about one-third of Americans consider Russia either an “ally” (8%) or “friendly” toward the U.S. (26%). A majority of the public see Russia as “unfriendly” (31%) or an “enemy” (24%) of the U.S. American views appear strongly conditioned on political affiliation. More than four in ten (43%) Republicans view Russia as an ally or friendly, a view shared by only 28% of Democrats. About half (49%) of Republicans believe Russia is unfriendly or an enemy, compared to two-thirds (67%) of Democrats. Democrats are more than twice as likely as Republicans to say Russia is America’s enemy (37% vs. 18%, respectively). Attitudes differ markedly by generation as well. Young adults are about twice as likely as seniors to perceive Russia as either an ally or a friend to the U.S. (42% vs. 20%, respectively). More than seven in ten (71%) seniors say Russia is unfriendly toward the U.S. or is an enemy, a view shared by fewer than half (49%) of young adults. Seniors are more than twice as likely as young people to say Russia is America’s enemy (35% vs. 16%, respectively). Americans with a favorable view of Trump are much more likely to have a positive opinion of Russia. Nearly half (48%) of Americans who feel positively about Trump perceive Russia to be America’s ally or friend. In contrast, only about one-quarter (26%) of Americans who have an unfavorable view of Trump say the same. Russian Interference in the 2016 Election Fewer than half (48%) of Americans believe there is clear evidence that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help the Trump campaign. More than four in ten (43%) disagree while about one in ten (9%) offer no opinion. Views are sharply divided by party. Eight in ten (80%) Democrats, compared to only 20% of Republicans, agree there is conclusive evidence of Russian involvement. Independents align with the public overall. There is considerable disagreement between Americans by race and ethnicity. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of black Americans and a majority (52%) of Hispanics agree there is evidence of Russian interference. Only 43% of white Americans agree; nearly half (49%) disagree. However, the views of whites are highly stratified by education level. Nearly six in ten (58%) whites with a college degree say there is clear evidence of Russian election interference, compared to only 36% of whites without a college degree. Another important part of Trump’s base—white evangelical Protestants—are also unlikely to believe Russia played much if any role in the 2016 election. Seven in ten (70%) white evangelical Protestants do not believe there is clear evidence of Russia’s involvement in the 2016 presidential election.