Voters appear to take Republican nominee Donald Trump at his word, and the majority believe that race relations nationwide will suffer as a result of his election to the presidency, according to a new Lincoln Leadership Initiative poll released Friday.
The poll also found that 46 percent of American voters believe that Trump would launch a nuclear device during his presidency, and 54 percent of voters believe that the Republican nominee would cause the U.S to default on its debt. A strong majority of 65 percent felt that Trump would abuse his power as president against a political opponent.
As for statements Trump has actually made, 54 percent of voters believe Trump will track all Muslims, tied with the number of Americans who think Trump will target the families of terrorists.
The numbers were still high among Trump supporters, with 22 percent of Trump supporters believing that Trump will use a nuclear weapon, and 33 percent believing the U.S. will default on its debt during a Trump presidency.
“I’ve always believed that electing Trump creates unacceptable risks for America — to our security, to our economy, and to our constitutional rights,” said James K. Glassman, former Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy. “This survey confirms that tens of millions of Americans have these same fears. As they should.”
“The American people believe we are a coin flip away from nuclear war or a default on our debt if Donald Trump is elected president,” said Andrew Weinstein, former advisor to House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Sen. Bob Dole’s 1996 presidential campaign .
“Even Trump’s own supporters believe there is a shockingly high risk of him unleashing a nuclear, financial, or constitutional catastrophe from the Oval Office. This survey shows that Americans see a Trump presidency as a game of Russian roulette, except there’s a bullet in every chamber, Weinstein added.
The Lincoln Leadership Initiative is a group that was started expressly to oppose Republican nominee Donald Trump from within the Republican Party.
“The Lincoln Leadership Initiative is a collaboration to encourage the Republican Party to return to its foundational values of fiscal responsibility, small government, personal liberty, outcome-based policy, international engagement, strong defense, and an optimistic and inclusive vision of our country’s future,” the group’s website states.
“Working in the spirit of Lincoln, the Initiative hopes the Republican Party will recommit itself to advancing and supporting candidates of the highest ethical, professional, and intellectual caliber.”
The poll was conducted online using Survey Monkey, and included 1,051 registered voters. The poll carried a margin of error of 4 percentage points in either direction. The survey began Sept. 16, and continued through Sept. 21.
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