Poll: Republicans more likely to trust Trump for news on Russia-Ukraine conflict than mainstream media and government institutions

04/18/2024 / By Laura Harris

A recent poll reveals that Republican voters believe former President Donald Trump is a more reliable source of information for the ongoing Russian special military operation in Ukraine than mainstream media outlets or government institutions like the Department of Defense.

The poll, conducted by CBS News in collaboration with YouGov from April 9 to 12, involved 2,399 adults. It shows that 79 percent of Republicans trust Trump more for information on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. (Related: Bulk of Republicans locked in on support for Trump.)

Meanwhile, 60 percent of Republicans will trust information on the conflict coming from the Pentagon, 56 percent from conservative-leaning media outlets, 33 percent from “journalists in the war zone” and just 27 percent from the Department of State.

Since Moscow launched its incursion into Ukraine, the media has been inundated with propaganda. Both Democrats and Republicans quickly labeled anyone who doubts Ukraine’s ability to resist Russia or question the billions in monetary aid the United States has sent to the corrupt administration of President Volodymyr Zelensky as puppets of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This has led to increased political polarization, and social media users on X, formerly Twitter, have argued that the mainstream media only has itself to blame for the lack of trust Americans have.

“The trust divide between Trump and journalists in war zones highlights a growing skepticism towards mainstream media among certain segments of the population,” one user posted.

“And it’s not that Trump is so trustworthy,” said another user. “It’s just that is how bad the media is with its propaganda.”

Opposition to Ukraine military aid is evident among Republicans

The poll also shed light on shifting public opinion toward America’s involvement in the conflict.

In 2022, 72 percent of respondents indicated that the government should keep providing military aid to Ukraine. But this year, only 53 percent of adults in the U.S. support ongoing military aid for Kyiv.

Of this number, 74 percent of Democrats are in favor of maintaining aid shipments to Ukraine. Independents are evenly split on the issue, with 50 percent in favor and the rest in opposition. Sixty-one percent of Republicans expressed opposition to providing aid to Ukraine. Among Trump supporters, this number is even higher at 69 percent opposed to continued aid.

Support for providing military aid to Ukraine was found to be closely linked to beliefs about the global role of the U.S. in promoting democracy. Support for Ukraine aid stood at 72 percent among respondents who believed the U.S. should promote democracy worldwide. Conversely, only 28 percent of those who rejected that the U.S. had such a duty supported military aid to Ukraine.

Moreover, the survey uncovered varying perceptions of Russia across different political affiliations.

The survey shows that 47 percent of Democrats, 36 percent of independents and only 29 percent of Republicans consider Moscow an “enemy.” Notably, 31 percent of Republicans perceive Russia as an “ally.” Age also emerged as a defining factor in attitudes toward Russia, with 50 percent of respondents aged 50 and above, or those who experienced the Cold War era, more likely to view Russia as an “enemy.”

Visit Trump.news for more stories about former President Donald Trump.

Watch this video from “Hannity” on Fox News about former Vice President Mike Pence saying Russia wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine under Trump.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.