Taken from DRAIFD's Facebook page:
Polls taken in October 2025 show something we’ve never really seen before in modern U.S. politics. Most Americans now say they don’t just dislike what Donald Trump is doing they believe he’s behaving like a “dangerous dictator.” And I have to believe that his unannounced, illegal, non-permitted, dark money funded destruction of the East Wing of the White House will only exacerbate these numbers.
This is not activist language; it’s survey language. Multiple national polls put his job approval underwater: Quinnipiac reports that 54% of voters disapprove of the job he’s doing and only 40% approve, and Gallup has his approval at 41%, down from the mid-40s when his second term began in Jan. 2025. A CNN polling average puts his disapproval at 56%. Independent of job approval, PRRI finds 58% of Americans view him unfavorably and only 40% favorably.
Voters aren’t just souring, they’re alarmed. In a national survey released Oct. 22, 2025, 56% of Americans agreed with the statement: “President Trump is a dangerous dictator whose power should be limited before he destroys American democracy.” That’s up from 52% earlier this year. Only 41% chose the alternative framing that he’s “a strong leader who should be given the power he needs to restore America’s greatness.” PRRI also notes that 45% “strongly agree” that he’s a dangerous dictator and 43% “strongly agree” he’s assaulting the rule of law.
The divide is exactly where you’d expect it to be, and exactly where you should worry. Among Democrats, 91% say Trump is a dangerous dictator. Among independents, which is the bellwether for 2026 and for the multiple state elections that are occurring next month, about two-thirds (roughly 65%) say the same. Among Republicans, 82% say he’s actually a strong leader who should be given more power, not less.
Racial and religious lines are just as stark. Majorities of Black, Hispanic, and AAPI respondents agree he’s a dangerous dictator, while white voters are more split, with a narrow edge toward calling him a “strong leader.”
PRRI tracks this ideology to Christian nationalism. Americans who identify with Christian nationalist ideals are far more likely to embrace Trump’s use of power and describe him as the kind of authoritarian leader who should be allowed to push through his agenda, while people who reject Christian nationalism overwhelmingly describe him as a threat.
What’s driving that language isn’t just vibes. Voters are watching what he’s actually doing in his second term: Sweeping executive actions; mass firings and restructurings inside the federal government; personal grift; tariff shocks; illegal crackdowns on immigration; encouraging violent ICE authority; arrest detainment of even American citizens; open talk of using presidential power to punish critics; and open defiance of institutional limits.
Majorities now say he’s gone “too far” with executive power, with 54% of Americans saying Trump is actively attacking the constitutional balance of power and the rule of law.
Even among voters who once leaned his way, words like “chaotic,” “scary,” and “dangerous” are starting to replace “disruptor” and “outsider,” and his approval on most issues, i.e., economy, foreign policy, trade, even his mass deportation push is underwater.
Yes, there are caveats. Some of these polls force a binary choice “dangerous dictator” vs. “strong leader” which can exaggerate intensity. I prefer poles with numerical values for example 1 to 5 with one being extreme and five being generous. I feel that these polls over time give a far a better measure. But I don’t write the polls. And of course, the story splits along party lines, because everything splits along party lines.
But the fact that this framing has now moved from activist protest signs to mainstream polling language and that nearly half of Independents say, not just casually but strongly, that they believe the sitting president is a dangerous dictator who must be limited, should stop everyone in their tracks.
That is not normal language for a healthy democracy. It’s the language a country uses when it already believes the brakes have failed.
I keep asking the question are we mad enough yet? And it appears we’re getting closer.
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