More than half the country fears a Trump presidency. And only about a third of Americans believe he is at least somewhat qualified to serve in the White House.
In the final sprint to Election Day, a new Associated Press-GfK poll underscores those daunting roadblocks for Donald Trump as he tries to overtake Hillary Clinton.
Moreover, most voters oppose the hard-line approach to immigration that is a centerpiece of the billionaire businessman's campaign. They are more likely to trust Clinton to handle a variety of issues facing the country. Trump also doesn't have an advantage on the national security topics also at the forefront of his bid.
Trump undoubtedly has a passionate base of support, seen clearly among the thousands of backers who fill the stands at his signature rallies. But most people don't share that fervor. Only 29 percent of registered voters would be excited and just 24 percent would be proud should Trump prevail in November. Only one in four voters find him even somewhat civil or compassionate, and just a third say he's not at all racist.
“We as Americans should be embarrassed about Donald Trump,” said Michael DeLuise, 66, a retired university vice president and registered Republican who lives in Eugene, Oregon. “We as Americans have always been able to look at the wacky leaders of other countries and say ‘Phew, that's not us.' We couldn't if Trump wins. It's like putting P.T. Barnum in charge. And it's getting dangerous.”
To be sure, the nation is sour on Clinton, too. Only 39 percent of voters have a favorable view of the Democratic nominee, compared to the 56 percent who view her unfavorably. Less than a third say they would be excited or proud should she move into the White House.
“I think she's an extremely dishonest person and have extreme disdain for her and her husband,” said one registered Republican, Denise Pettitte, 36, from Watertown, Wisconsin. “I think it would be wonderful to elect a woman, but a different woman.”
But as poorly as voters may view Clinton, they think even less of Trump.Forty-four percent say they would be afraid if Clinton, the former secretary of state, is elected, far less than the 56 percent who say the same of Trump. He's viewed more unfavorably than favorably by a 61 percent to 34 percent margin, and more say their unfavorable opinion of the New Yorker is a strong one than say the same of Clinton, 50 percent to 44 percent.
That deep disdain for both candidates prompts three-quarters of voters to say that a big reason they'll be casting their ballot is to stop someone, rather than elect someone.
“It's not really a vote for her as much as it's a vote against Trump,” said Mark Corbin, 59, a business administrator and registered Democrat from Media, Pennsylvania.
Roughly half of voters see Clinton at least somewhat qualified, while just 30 percent say Trump is.
Trump finds no respite with voters when it comes to what he vows to do as president, either.
Voters are closely split on which candidate would better handle protecting the country and evenly divided on which would better handle the threat posed by the Islamic State group. And Americansare much more likely to say they trust Clinton than Trump to do a better job handling the U.S. image abroad.
The AP-GfK Poll of 1,694 adults, including 1,476 registered voters, was conducted online Sept. 15-19, using a sample drawn from GfK's probability-based KnowledgePanel, which is designed to be representative of the US population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, and for registered voters plus or minus 2.7 points.
The AP-GfK Poll of 1,694 adults, including 1,476 registered voters, was conducted online Sept. 15-19, using a sample drawn from GfK's probability-based KnowledgePanel, which is designed to be representative of the US population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, and for registered voters plus or minus 2.7 points.
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