NEW YORK: Americans are more concerned than they were before the 2016 US presidential campaign began about the potential threat Russia poses to the country, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Friday.
The Jan. 9-12 survey found that 82 percent of American adults, including 84 percent of Democrats and 82 percent of Republicans, described Russia as a general “threat” to the US. That’s up from 76 percent in March 2015 when the same questions were asked.
The increased concern comes after a brutal election season during which Democrats and others raised questions about President-elect Donald Trump’s financial ties to Russia and the US intelligence community accused Russia of engaging in cybertattacks during the election.
Trump, who has repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as a strong leader and signaled during his campaign that he might take a softer line in dealing with Moscow, only recently accepted that Russia committed the hacks after receiving detailed briefings from intelligence officials.
Trump initially criticized the findings, saying the culprit could be China or “somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds.”
The poll asked people to rate Russia and a slew of other countries on a 5-point scale ranging from “no threat” to “imminent threat.” It found that Americans were more likely to label Russia a threat than they were Iran, Syria, China, Saudi Arabia, Cuba or Yemen. Only North Korea ranked higher, with 86 percent of Americans labeling it as a threat.
Some 25 percent of Americans gave Russia the highest concern, labeling it an “imminent threat.”
“Russia is back to the old days of the Cold War,” said Oneita Wilkins, 69, a Republican who lives in a suburb of New Orleans, who rated Russia an “imminent threat.”
Wilkins did not vote in the election. She said she did not trust Trump or Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and chose to not vote for the first time in more than 40 years.
The latest reports about Russian hacking lowered her opinion of Trump even further. “Trump doesn’t have any experience with other countries,” Wilkins said. “I have a feeling that he’ll be easily influenced by Putin.”
Trump, earlier this week in his first news conference since the election, defended his goal of better ties with Putin, saying, “If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability.”
The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online in English in all 50 states. It included 1,169 American adults, including 490 Democrats and 475 Republicans. The poll has a credibility interval, a measure of accuracy, of 3 percentage points for the entire sample and 5 percentage points for Republicans and Democrats.
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Americans considering Russia a threat: Survey
Americans considering Russia a threat: Survey
At Grammys, ‘ICE out’ message loud and clear
- Music’s A-listers on Sunday lashed out at the immigration raids rocking the United States at the Grammy Awards, with Puerto Rican megastar Bad Bunny setting the tone
LOS ANGELES: Music’s A-listers on Sunday lashed out at the immigration raids rocking the United States at the Grammy Awards, with Puerto Rican megastar Bad Bunny setting the tone.
Anger was palpable at President Donald Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, whose heavily armed and masked agents have been deployed in multiple US cities.
The killing of two US citizens by federal agents last month in Minneapolis raised the temperature for many Americans, already anxious over what they think are unfocused operations unjustly sweeping up anyone who speaks Spanish or has brown skin.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say ‘ICE out’,” Bad Bunny said to cheers from the audience in Los Angeles — only a week before he is due to headline the Super Bowl halftime show.
“We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens; we are humans and we are Americans,” the singer said after being given the Grammy for Best Musica Urbana Album.
The reggaeton star was not alone in calling out the actions of ICE, one of the lead agencies involved in the crackdown.
Among the couture frocks by Valentino, Chanel and Saint Laurent on the red carpet, several of those attending added an “ICE out” button to their outfits.
They included power couple Justin and Hailey Bieber, veteran songstress Joni Mitchell, US singer Jordan Tyson and actress and singer Helen J. Shen.
“I’m scared, I’m very worried,” Gloria Estefan told AFP backstage after winning the Grammy for best tropical Latin album.
“I don’t think anyone would say we want a free-for-all at the border, but what is happening is not at all ‘criminals being arrested’.
“These are people that have families, that have contributed to this country for decades, little children. There are hundreds of children in detention centers. It’s inhumane. I don’t recognize my country at this moment.”
“I guess I want to say I’m up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant,” British singer Olivia Dean — who has an English father and a Jamaican-Guyanese mother — said after scooping the prestigious Best New Artist Grammy.
“I’m a product of bravery, and I think those people deserve to be celebrated.”
“Immigrants built this country,” the breakout country star Shaboozey, who was born in Virginia to Nigerian parents, told the audience after winning the Grammy for best country duo/group performance with Jelly Roll.
“So this is for them, for all children of immigrants. This is also for those who came to this country in search of better opportunity to be a part of a nation that promised freedom for all and equal opportunity to everyone willing to work for it,” said the artist.
“Thank you for bringing your culture, your music, your stories and your traditions here. You give America color.”
US singer Billie Eilish, whose “Wildflower” scored the Grammy for Song of the Year, said she felt grateful for the award.
But, she added: “As grateful as I feel, I honestly don’t feel like I need to say anything, but that no one is illegal on stolen land.
“It’s just really hard to know what to say and what to do right now. I feel like we just need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting, and our voices really do matter, and the people matter.”
“It’s incredibly dystopian that we’re dressed up and able to celebrate accolades... and people are getting snatched up and shot in the face on the street,” said R&B singer SZA, who shared Record of the Year honors with Kendrick Lamar.
“It just feels bizarre, and I find so many of us don’t really know how to feel right now, besides rage and hopelessness,” she said.
“I just don’t want everyone to fall into despair, because when you lose... morale, change becomes impossible.”
Anger was palpable at President Donald Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, whose heavily armed and masked agents have been deployed in multiple US cities.
The killing of two US citizens by federal agents last month in Minneapolis raised the temperature for many Americans, already anxious over what they think are unfocused operations unjustly sweeping up anyone who speaks Spanish or has brown skin.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say ‘ICE out’,” Bad Bunny said to cheers from the audience in Los Angeles — only a week before he is due to headline the Super Bowl halftime show.
“We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens; we are humans and we are Americans,” the singer said after being given the Grammy for Best Musica Urbana Album.
The reggaeton star was not alone in calling out the actions of ICE, one of the lead agencies involved in the crackdown.
Among the couture frocks by Valentino, Chanel and Saint Laurent on the red carpet, several of those attending added an “ICE out” button to their outfits.
They included power couple Justin and Hailey Bieber, veteran songstress Joni Mitchell, US singer Jordan Tyson and actress and singer Helen J. Shen.
“I’m scared, I’m very worried,” Gloria Estefan told AFP backstage after winning the Grammy for best tropical Latin album.
“I don’t think anyone would say we want a free-for-all at the border, but what is happening is not at all ‘criminals being arrested’.
“These are people that have families, that have contributed to this country for decades, little children. There are hundreds of children in detention centers. It’s inhumane. I don’t recognize my country at this moment.”
“I guess I want to say I’m up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant,” British singer Olivia Dean — who has an English father and a Jamaican-Guyanese mother — said after scooping the prestigious Best New Artist Grammy.
“I’m a product of bravery, and I think those people deserve to be celebrated.”
“Immigrants built this country,” the breakout country star Shaboozey, who was born in Virginia to Nigerian parents, told the audience after winning the Grammy for best country duo/group performance with Jelly Roll.
“So this is for them, for all children of immigrants. This is also for those who came to this country in search of better opportunity to be a part of a nation that promised freedom for all and equal opportunity to everyone willing to work for it,” said the artist.
“Thank you for bringing your culture, your music, your stories and your traditions here. You give America color.”
US singer Billie Eilish, whose “Wildflower” scored the Grammy for Song of the Year, said she felt grateful for the award.
But, she added: “As grateful as I feel, I honestly don’t feel like I need to say anything, but that no one is illegal on stolen land.
“It’s just really hard to know what to say and what to do right now. I feel like we just need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting, and our voices really do matter, and the people matter.”
“It’s incredibly dystopian that we’re dressed up and able to celebrate accolades... and people are getting snatched up and shot in the face on the street,” said R&B singer SZA, who shared Record of the Year honors with Kendrick Lamar.
“It just feels bizarre, and I find so many of us don’t really know how to feel right now, besides rage and hopelessness,” she said.
“I just don’t want everyone to fall into despair, because when you lose... morale, change becomes impossible.”
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