Americans Across Party Lines Want the U.S. to Keep Nuclear Limits with Russia, New Poll Finds

As the last remaining U.S.-Russia nuclear limitations treaty expires on Feb. 5, an overwhelming majority of Americans (91 percent) say the United States should negotiate a new agreement with Russia to either maintain current limits on nuclear weapons or further reduce both countries’ arsenals, according to a new YouGov poll commissioned by ReThink Media and the Nuclear Threat Initiative.

The poll of 1,000 registered voters also finds that the vast majority of Americans—including 85 percent of those who voted for President Trump—believe the president should agree to Russia’s proposal to continue abiding by the limits imposed by the New START treaty for at least another year after the treaty expires. In addition, 72 percent of registered voters believe that removing all nuclear limits on U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals would make the United States less secure.

When New START expires, it will be the first time in decades that there are no limits capping the number of nuclear weapons for the world’s two largest arsenals. Together, the U.S. and Russia own almost 90 percent of all nuclear weapons in the world.

President Trump recently said he intends to negotiate a better agreement with Russia after New START expires. Previously, he warned that “when you take off nuclear restrictions – that’s a big problem” and made favorable comments about Russia’s one-year offer to voluntarily maintain the treaty’s limits. He repeatedly has warned of the threat posed by nuclear weapons. However, his administration has not yet taken concrete actions to secure a new nuclear limitations agreement with Russia.

The poll was fielded by YouGov from Thursday, Jan. 8 to Friday, Jan. 9, with an online sample of 1,000 registered voters and a margin of error of ±3.7 percent.

Highlights of the poll include:

• 72 percent of registered voters believe that removing all nuclear limits on the U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals would make the U.S. less secure.
  • (82 percent of Democrats, 74 percent of Independents, 61 percent of Republicans)
• 87 percent of registered voters believe the U.S. should accept Russia’s offer to continue to limit both countries’ nuclear weapons for at least another year.
  • (90 percent of Democrats, 83 percent of Independents, 86 percent of Republicans)
• 91 percent of registered voters believe the U.S. should negotiate a new deal with Russia to maintain current nuclear limits or further reduce both countries’ nuclear weapons. 
  • (Further reductions: 57 percent overall, 72 percent of Democrats, 56% of Independents, 43 percent of Republicans)
  • (Maintaining current levels: 34 percent overall, 23 percent of Democrats, 28 percent of Independents, 45 percent of Republicans)
• 54 percent of registered voters say they would be more likely to vote for a political candidate that favors making a deal with Russia to maintain current limits or further reduce both countries’ arsenals. 41% say this would make no difference in their vote, and only 6 percent said this would make them less likely to vote for said candidate.
  • (More likely: 66 percent of Democrats, 49 percent of Independents, 41 percent of Republicans)
  • (No difference: 29 percent of Democrats, 45 percent of Independents, 53 percent of Republicans)

Please see here for topline results and all crosstabs.