Donald Trump Has Work to Do to Gain Americans' Trust as Would-Be GOP Nominee, According to New CALinnovates Survey

SAN FRANCISCO, March 9, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Donald Trump's bombastic ways have pushed him to the precipice of seizing the GOP nomination for president, but Americans don't trust him to do almost anything – from managing the economy to picking a Supreme Court nominee to handling the dispute between the FBI and Apple over an iPhone of a shooter in a mass killing with terrorist implications, according to a new survey commissioned by tech advocacy group CALinnovates.

"As Americans start to focus on the presidential election, the winner will make critical decisions about the future of the sharing economy, national security and technology and privacy," said Mike Montgomery, Executive Director of CALinnovates. "CALinnovates isn't in the business of political endorsements, but we are anxious to learn more about the plans candidates – whomever the nominees may ultimately be – have for ensuring American leadership on innovation and entrepreneurship."

When a Vrge Analytics survey of 806 Americans pitted Donald Trump against Hillary Clinton in a hypothetical presidential race, the results weren't pretty for the blustery businessman:

• Just 1 In 4 Americas said they would trust Trump over Hillary Clinton. And that trust gap extended to many issues:
  • Even though she is ultimate insider, Hillary Clinton is just as trusted to "not let special interests drive decision making." But women and men see it differently. Women believe, by a 40-26 percent margin, that Hillary Clinton would stand up to special interests. But by nearly the same margin (40-30 percent), men side with Donald Trump.
  • By a nearly 2-1 margin (48-27 percent), Americans trust Hillary Clinton over Trump to manage the delicate balance between privacy and national security sparked by the dispute between the FBI and Apple over unlocking an iPhone of the alleged shooter in a mass shooting that had terrorist implications. In this case, it appears that Hillary Clinton's background as the nation's top diplomat helps.
  • Just 1 in 5 Americans said they would most trust Trump to nominate a Supreme Court justice to replace the late Antonin Scalia. Interestingly, half of Americans (50 percent) said they would trust incumbent President Obama to nominate Scalia's replacement.
• There is a huge gender gap when it comes to which candidate will better handle economic issues, but even with his business background, it's not seen as a clear strength for Trump:
  • By a clear margin (46-31 percent), Americans said Hillary Clinton would do a better job managing the economy. Men are split (40-37 percent) on which candidate will do better.
  • While women are split (38-38 percent) on which candidate will drive greater advocate for American innovation and entrepreneurship, men are much more likely (46-31 percent) to side with Trump.
  • Despite her questions about the future of so-called sharing economy trends such as ride-sharing (Uber) and home-sharing (Airbnb), Hillary Clinton was given more credit (40-35 percent) for understanding "the new economy better and ensuring that it is good for America." But men are more likely to give Trump credit on the sharing economy.
• Gender plays a large role in whether Americans would rather spend time with Clinton or Trump. Asked which candidate they would rather sit next to for a 6-hour train ride, men were split 28-28 percent, But women were nearly 3 times more likely (43-15 percent) to pick Hillary Clinton as a seatmate. 
  
  But in a ominous sign of how Americans feel about the candidates overall, 1 in 3 Americans responded that when faced with that choice, "Just shoot me and put me out of my misery."

Survey Highlights

Q1. Which of these candidates would do a better job managing the economy?

Q2. Which of these candidates do you trust more?

Q3. Which of these candidates do you trust to not let special interests drive decision making?

Q4. Which of these candidates do you believe will be a greater advocate for American innovation and entrepreneurship?

Q5. Recently the FBI and Apple have been in a dispute over whether Apple should help the FBI unlock the iPhone of the alleged shooter in a mass shooting that had terrorist implications. The dispute has sparked a debate about the competing principles of privacy and national security. Which of these candidates do you trust more to manage the delicate balance between privacy and national security?

Q6. The economy is rapidly changing, with so-called sharing economy companies such as AirBNB for home-sharing and Uber for ride-sharing changing the way business is done. Which of these candidates is likely to understand the new economy better and ensure that it is good for America?

Q7. With the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a vacancy has opened up on the highest court. Which of the following would you most trust to nominate a replacement for Justice Scalia?

Q8. Which of the following would you prefer as First Lady or First Gentleman of the country: Bill Clinton or Melania Trump?

Q9. Imagine you are on a train setting out on a 6-hour trip. Who would you rather sit next to for that 6-hour trip, Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump?

For a pull report of the survey, which polled 806 Americans from March 2-4 and has a 3 percent margin of error, please contact CALinnovates.

ABOUT CALINNOVATES

CALinnovates serves as a bridge between the thriving and fast paced technology communities based in California and the slower moving but equally important public policy communities in Sacramento and Washington, DC.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140911/145522

SOURCE CALinnovates