Well, folks, it looks like the American public’s love affair with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is officially over. After Friday’s explosive Oval Office showdown between Zelenskyy, President Trump, and JD Vance, pollster Frank Luntz decided to take the public’s temperature with some polls on X. The results? Let’s just say Democrats will be choking on their morning lattes.
Luntz released his findings on Saturday, and while they’re admittedly unscientific, they provide a fascinating glimpse into how dramatically public opinion has shifted on the Ukraine conflict. The polls asked two simple questions: "Whom are you angrier at" after the White House meeting (Zelenskyy or Trump/Vance), and "whom are you more sympathetic toward" in the Russia-Ukraine war (Zelenskyy or Putin)?
The results were brutal for Ukraine’s once-beloved wartime leader.
Poll 2 of 2 about Ukraine:
— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) March 1, 2025
At this point in the Russia-Ukraine war, whom are you more sympathetic towards?
Luntz’s analysis was blunt: “The United States isn’t changing... It has changed.”
Remember when Zelenskyy was hailed as a heroic figure fighting for democracy against Russian aggression? Those days are apparently over.
As Luntz noted, “Three years ago, Americans were overwhelmingly supportive of Ukraine and they considered Zelensky to be a global hero. Today, a majority of Americans oppose the war and Zelensky is now a controversial character.”
Recommended: Pete Hegseth Just Destroyed Hillary Clinton With a Single Photo
What’s perhaps most telling was Luntz’s assessment of what this means for Trump: “President Trump is on his way to being the most impactful, consequential president since FDR. And his supporters are more loyal to him than any president since Andrew Jackson." Not exactly what the anti-Trump crowd wants to hear.
A separate poll conducted by Luntz adds more nuance. He asked, “What should President Trump announce at this Tuesday night's State of the Union address?”
On Ukraine 🇺🇦, what should President Trump announce at this Tuesday night's State of the Union address?
— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) March 2, 2025
A.) End all funding and support for Ukraine
B.) End all funding but continue to fully support Ukraine.
C.) Continue to support and fund Ukraine, but at a lower level.
D.)…
These results were more mixed, but combined with the prior polls, the message is clear that most Americans still want some form of support for Ukraine but are divided on what that support should be. One thing is for sure: they have soured mostly on Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“Three years ago, Americans were overwhelmingly supportive of Ukraine and they considered Zelensky to be a global hero,” Luntz observed. “Today, a majority of Americans oppose the war and Zelenskyy is now a controversial character.”
Luntz emphasized he wasn’t making any personal judgments about Ukraine, Zelenskyy, or President Trump, but “merely noting what the polls are saying." He also predicted that “based on these results, this Tuesday night’s State Of The Union address should have a very big audience."
While the obvious counterpoint here is that a poll on X is far from scientific, Luntz believed the results were worth reacting to. Luntz isn’t exactly on Trump’s side on this issue, so this wasn’t his way of trying to influence public opinion. Regardless of how you might dismiss these results, even Luntz, a polling expert, felt we could learn something from them.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member