Donald Trump’s approval rating is in the gutter already
Of course, every incoming President of the United States would love nothing more than to take office with a mandate and enjoy the support and confidence of a vast majority of Americans. As Donald Trump, who ignores the truth whenever convenient, prepares his return to the White House, he wants everyone to believe he has this type of backing. However, newly released results from two key polls paint a vastly different picture.
According to a national NPR/PBS News/Marist poll conducted earlier this month, only 44% of Americans have a favorable view of Trump, while 49% have an unfavorable opinion of him (with 7% unsure). This net-negative favorability for Trump has been consistent since Marist began tracking it in 2016, according to NPR’s analysis.
Also, Trump’s policies and plans are not as popular as he wants us to think. According to the poll, 62% said they are against Trump pardoning people who were convicted of attacking the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, only 49% believe that mass deportation of undocumented immigrants is a good idea, and only 31% believe that Trump’s proposed tariffs would help the U.S. economy.
Yet another issue for Trump is that he will be facing high expectations when it comes to the economy, thanks to his bold promises and oversimplification of issues. When it comes to personal finances, 44% of the respondents (including 63% of Republicans) said they expect their situation to improve under the Trump administration. This is the highest figure since Marist began asking this question 15 years ago, and it means Trump will have a particularly tough time delivering the snake oil he loudly promised to all his customers to get elected.
The results from another national poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, also conducted earlier this month, reinforce the notion that the winds are not quite in Trump’s sails. For example, only 27% of respondents are “extremely/very confident” that Trump will make progress with job creation this year, and that figure falls to 21% for whether he will lower the cost of food and groceries and just 16% when it comes to lowering the cost of healthcare.
As both these new polls make clear, Trump’s bravado does not line up with the low level of support he has on key issues. Also, his over-the-top boasts on the campaign trail could backfire if he does not deliver quickly on his huge promises. A rocky road lies ahead for America—but also for Trump.
Ron Leshnower is a lawyer and the author of several books, including President Trump’s Month