31% of Americans view Russia as ‘greatest danger’ to US, highest rate in 3 decades

Answering an open-ended question, 31 percent of Americans said Russia currently represents the “greatest danger” to the US, according to a new poll. It is the highest percentage of Americans expressing this sentiment in nearly three decades. The new Pew Research Center survey also found that Russia is by far the number one national threat in the eyes of Democrats, as 39 percent see Russia as the greatest threat to America, while 21 percent cited North Korea, and 13 percent said it was China.

Opinions were divided among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, with 27 percent saying North Korea presently poses the greatest danger to the US; 21 percent cited Russia, and 18 percent – Iran. Compared with 2013, the last time the same question was asked, larger numbers in both parties cited Russia as posing the greatest danger to the US. Almost twice as many Democrats as Republicans now express a more hostile attitude (39 percent vs. 21 percent). READ MORE