Republicans' dramatic change of heart over Vladimir Putin, in 1 stunning graph
Donald Trump isn't the only one warming up to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The results of a YouGov/Economist poll released Wednesday reveal a sharp spike in Republicans' opinion of the controversial leader, beginning right about when Trump received the Republican nomination in July 2016:
The graph also reveals that Republicans have traditionally held a more negative opinion of Putin than Democrats; liberals saw their opinion of Putin drop after Trump's nomination and continue to fall as details about Russian interference in the election emerged throughout the rest of the campaign season.
The poll also shows that Republicans have recently changed their minds about Russia being a friend to the U.S., too:
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The survey reached 1,465 American adults between Dec. 10-13 and has a margin of error of 3 percent. Full results can be found here.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.