OTTAWA (Reuters) - About two-thirds of Canadians surveyed this month said American democracy cannot survive another four years of Donald Trump in the White House, and about half said the United States is on the way to becoming an authoritarian state, a poll released on Monday said.

The November U.S. election is likely to pit President Joe Biden against Trump, who is the clear frontrunner to win the Republican nomination as voting in the presidential primary race kicks off in Iowa on Monday.

Sixty-four percent of respondents in the Angus Reid Institute poll of 1,510 Canadians said they agreed with the statement: “U.S. democracy cannot survive another four years of Donald Trump.” Twenty-eight percent disagreed.

The Jan. 6, 2021 attack on Capitol Hill by Trump supporters seeking to block certification of Biden’s 2020 election win shocked many Canadians, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly blamed Trump for inciting the mob.

Trump has vowed if elected again to punish his political enemies, and he has drawn criticism for using increasingly authoritarian language.

Three times as many Canadians say a Biden victory would be better for Canada’s economy (53%) than a Trump win (18%), according to the poll which was seen exclusively by Reuters. The poll, taken between Jan. 9-11, had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points

  • pearsaltchocolatebar@discuss.online
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    11
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    10 months ago

    Part of the problem is that they’re trying to not give him anything he can appeal.

    Prosecution like this can take a while to happen because you only get one shot at it, and it’s vital that it doesn’t fail for bullshit reasons.

    • TengoDosVacas@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      8
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      10 months ago

      How does that work for private citizens or bottom ranked government employees who steal government documents and try to sell them to foreign nations? Do we go slow and try to get it right because there’s only one shot at it and you dont want it to fail for bullshit reasons?

      • pearsaltchocolatebar@discuss.online
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        9
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        10 months ago

        Those people don’t have a cult of millions of deranged terrorists itching to violently overthrow the government and a good chance at being president again (which would be the end of our country).

        Sometimes you have to be patient to get your desired outcome.

        But, just look at Al Capone. We knew he was guilty as fuck for a long time, but it took a long time to build a case to put him away, even if it was just for tax fraud.

        • TengoDosVacas@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          10
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          10 months ago

          The cult doesnt go away, and they have to be dealt with as a violent domestic terrorist threat also. Because THEY ARE.

          • pearsaltchocolatebar@discuss.online
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            6
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            10 months ago

            I’m not arguing against that, but some situations require a more nuanced approach. Just arresting him and throwing him in prison would make him a martyr to his cult of dumbasses

            • remus989@sh.itjust.works
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              10 months ago

              I get what you’re saying but even if every I is dotted and every T crossed and he goes to jail, he’ll still be a martyr.

              • Marin_Rider@aussie.zone
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                5
                ·
                10 months ago

                his cult can’t be reasoned with and the process doesn’t matter to them. who it DOES matter to are the swing voters and ones that havnt gone off the deepend. if you ignore process, you lose those people and democracy ends. follow the process and at least some of them will have the sense to agree with the process

                • remus989@sh.itjust.works
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  ·
                  10 months ago

                  I understand that. What I’m saying is that the cult is going to react poorly no matter how he is prosecuted. Still, I do get that rules need to be followed, especially in this case.

            • pinkdrunkenelephants@lemmy.cafe
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              arrow-down
              2
              ·
              edit-2
              10 months ago

              Oh, sweetheart, if you can find the courage to try to insult me, then you can scrape together enough courage to demand Democrats hold Trump accountable.

              • pearsaltchocolatebar@discuss.online
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                arrow-down
                1
                ·
                10 months ago

                I wasn’t insulting you, I was stating a fact. Your reading comprehension is clearly lacking if you drew that conclusion from my statement.

                • pinkdrunkenelephants@lemmy.cafe
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  arrow-down
                  1
                  ·
                  10 months ago

                  Yeah sure you are, now take that insulting attitude and direct it towards the Democrats. Go on, show some integrity for once in your life.

                  Or you can choose to keep wasting oxygen fruitlessly attacking me and prove to everyone you’re just a moral coward who has no principles or scruples. Your choice.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      edit-2
      10 months ago

      they’re trying to not give him anything he can appeal

      There’s nothing that cannot be appealed. Just look at the last round of fighting over his slander of Eugene Caroll. He lost that legal fight fair and square and he’ll be appealing it up the chain for the next decade to avoid making any kind of payments.

      This is a bullshit excuse to drag your heels and do nothing.