A wide majority of Americans see Russia as a threat to the United States, a new poll shows.
The poll released on August 10 showed that nearly 90 percent of respondents see Russia as either a “very serious,” “moderate,” or “slight” threat to the United States, while 10 percent view it as “no threat at all.”
The poll was conducted by cell and landline telephones from August 3-6 by SSRS, an independent research company, for CNN, surveying 1,018 respondents.
Some 35 percent of those surveyed said Russia represents a “very serious threat,” while 27 percent see it as a “moderate” threat, and 17 percent view it as a “slight” threat.
The numbers contrast with a June 2009 survey that showed 68 percent saw Russia as a threat, while 31 saw it as no threat.
A poll taken in 1983 indicated that 96 percent of Americans viewed the Soviet Union as a threat.
The new poll also showed that 59 percent of Americans said they disapprove of the way U.S. President Donald Trump is handling the investigation into Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 election, while 31 percent approve.
Asked if Special Counsel Robert Mueller should be able to investigate Trump’s finances as part of his probe into Russian alleged influence on the election, 70 percent said “yes,” while 25 percent said his finances should be “off limits.”
