Polls Measure Americans’, Mexicans’ Views of Each Other in Trump Era
by Mark Browne, CNS News:
Americans’ views of Mexico are the most favorable seen in a decade – although the differences between Republicans and Democrats are stark.
Polling by Gallup has found that “nearly two-thirds” of Americans now view Mexico favorably – up from a “near record” low of 45 percent in 2011 – and the most favorable seen in “over a decade.”
Sixty-four percent of Americans said they had “very” or “mostly” favorable views of Mexico, according to a Gallup poll taken last month.
While positive views of Mexico were even higher during the administration of President George W. Bush, according to the polling firm Americans today are more sharply divided than ever along party lines when asked about their perceptions of their southern neighbor.
According to Gallup, 83 percent of Democrats report having “very” or “mostly favorable” perceptions of Mexico, compared to 46 percent of Republicans and 65 percent of independents.
Gallup called the opinion divide along party lines of “little surprise … given the campaign promises that led to [President Donald] Trump’s win.”
“It’s clear that Democrats have a better opinion of Mexico than do Republicans,” Jorge Buendia, director of the Mexico City public opinion research firm Buendia y Laredo, told CNSNews.com.
“This is similar to ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend,’” he commented.
South of the border, Mexicans’ view of their country’s relationship with the U.S. has shifted 180 degrees between 2015 and today, according to another survey.
Forty-nine percent of Mexicans say they have a “bad” or “very bad” view of the relationship, according to data released by the Mexico City polling firm Parametria.
In 2015, by contrast, 49 percent of Mexicans said they had a “very good” or “good” opinion of relations between the neighboring countries.
Mexican public opinion about relations with the U.S. began to shift during the Trump campaign, according to Francisco Abundis, Parametria’s founder.
He called the magnitude of the shift in opinion “very notable,” but said the dim view Mexicans’ have of their country’s relations with the U.S. doesn’t extend to their opinions of Americans.
