Almost two-thirds of the British public believe Donald Trump is a threat to international stability and a clear majority believe he will be a bad president, according to an Opinium/Observer poll conducted during his tumultuous second week in office.
The study reveals Britons have an overwhelmingly negative view of the divisive US president, who in the fortnight since his inauguration has signed a string of executive orders imposing draconian immigration measures, professed to backing torture and rowed publicly with the leaders of Mexico, Iran and Australia. In addition to the 64% who believe he represents a threat to international stability, the words most commonly associated by Britons with the divisive US president are dangerous (50%), unstable (39%), and bigot (35%). A further 56% believe he is untrustworthy.
It also reveals that more than four in 10 people (44%) believe Trump will be an awful president, with a further one in ten believing he will be below average. A mere 6% believe Trump will be a great president.
However, Britons are more divided on the issue of Trump’s state visit to the UK, due to be hosted by the Queen this year. While a slim majority (53%) believe the trip should either be delayed until his now-suspended 120-day travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries lapses (25%) or cancelled outright (28%), 36% believe the visit should go ahead regardless. Parliament will hold a debate on calls to cancel the state visit on 20 February after more than 1.8 million people signed a petition in support of scrapping or downgrading the invitation.
4 February 2017 15.49.
The Guardian UK