British voters view Donald Trump as a ‘dangerous idiot’

3 in 5 Brits have a negative view of the new president

British voters have a scathing view of Donald Trump, who returned to the White House for a second presidential term yesterday.

When asked to describe the Republican in one word, the most popular responses to a poll by think tank More in Common were “idiot” and “dangerous”.

Among the few positive descriptions, respondents called Trump “funny,” “good,” “strong,” and a “leader.”

Overall, three in five Brits have a negative view of the new president. 

Half of the 2,000 British adults who responded to the poll say they would have voted for his Democratic rival Kamala Harris, compared to just 28% for Trump.

The poll also found that Trump is popular among men aged under 35, with 53% of them saying they would have voted for him if they could.

Almost half (44%) of Brits believe the prime minister Keir Starmer should prioritise trying to establish a good working relationship with Trump, compared to 37% who think he should stand up to him.

Luke Tryl, director of More in Common UK, said: “British voters don’t like Trump anymore than they did in November and given the top word Brits used to describe him is idiot, that seems unlikely to change anytime soon.

“Nonetheless they see the importance of working with Trump and they are more likely than not to say the priority for Starmer should be working with rather than standing up to the president.”

Tryl added: “The exception to that resignation are young men, with a majority of those under 35 saying they’d have voted for Trump over Harris, compared to just 28% of the population at large.

“As in many other western countries it does seem Trump’s brand of populism resonates with young men in particular.”

Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward