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Poll: 35% Russians believe Trump’s win would better match Russia’s national interests

Over half of those polled believe the election results are important
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump AP Photo/ Evan Vucci
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump
© AP Photo/ Evan Vucci

MOSCOW, October 21. /TASS/. More than half of Russians (57%) believe the outcome of the US presidential election is important, with one in three (35%) certain that Republican candidate Donald Trump’s win would better match Russia’s national interests, as follows from the results of the Russian Public Opinion Research Center, published on the organization’s website.

Are US election returns important?

The outcome of voting in the US presidential election will be important to Russia, said 57% of the polled, while 38% stick to the opposite opinion. One in three said Trump’s victory would better match Russia’s national interests. The share of those supporting this point of view is noticeably higher (44%) among those who attach importance to the election results, the poll says. At the same time a tiny 6% believe that Hillary Clinton’s victory would agree with Russia’s national interests, and one in five Russians (22%) replied that none of the candidates looked better.

Russians’ interest towards the election campaign in the United States is growing: 53% (in contrast to 41% in July) keep an eye on the race. One in three Russians (29%) believe that Trump’s victory would improve US relations with Russia, 8% disagree and 35% say that relations will remain unchanged. Trump’s victory will be important for Russia, said 39% of the polled. Nearly half of Russians (45%) are certain that Clinton’s victory would entail a worsening in bilateral relations, and another 29% do not believe in an improvement of relations in case of such an outcome.

Asked about the age of both participants in the US presidential race (Clinton is 68 and Trump, 70 - TASS) half of the polled (53%) said old age was evidence of US electoral system’s degradation (59% of such respondents are people in low income brackets). Another 23% believe that the candidate’s age indicates the stability of the US election system, because the reins of power will be placed in the most experienced hands. Twenty seven of those who think so are wealthy people.

Russia distrusts US politicians

"In the context of acute confrontation between Russia and the United States our people make a predictable choice between one of the two main contenders for the US presidency. They choose the one who expresses sympathy towards Vladimir Putin and promises to settle key differences with Russia. On the contrary, Clinton is seen as a politician who will push ahead with Obama’s confrontational policies and enjoys no support at all. Incidentally, distrust towards the United States and US politicians in today’s Russia is so strong that a large number of respondents does not expect an improvement in bilateral relations regardless of the US election result," said the pollster’s general director, Valery Fyodorov.

The poll was conducted in 130 communities and cities of Russia on October 8-9, 2016. An audience of 1,600 adult men and women was questioned. The margin of error did not exceed 3.5% with 95% probability.