Americans sour on some of Trump's early moves - poll
Kyiv • UNN
According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, most Americans do not support some of Trump's first executive orders. 59% oppose the abolition of birthright citizenship, and 70% oppose renaming the Gulf of Mexico.
Americans are skeptical of some of US President Donald Trump's first executive orders, including his attempt to abolish so-called birthright citizenship and his decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, UNN reports citing Reuters.
Details
Since taking office on Jan. 20, the Republican president has moved quickly to crack down on immigration and shrink government, efforts that respondents to a three-day poll that ended Sunday view more favorably.
Overall, the poll found that 45% of Americans approve of Trump's performance as president, down slightly from 47% in the January 20-21 poll. The share of those who disapprove was slightly higher at 46%, up from 39% in the previous poll.
"While Trump appears to be having a bit of a honeymoon period, his numbers are still unimpressive by historical standards," said Kyle Condick, an analyst at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics.
During Trump's first term, his approval rating reached 49% in his first weeks in office, but he ended his term with 34% approval after the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
It may be too early to assess whether Trump is wasting his political capital by focusing on issues on which he disagrees with the public, Condick said. But the poll shows that many of his early actions were warmly received only by his diehard supporters.
The poll showed that voters in general remain deeply concerned about high prices for food, housing and other basic necessities.
A majority of Americans opposed the abolition of the longstanding practice of granting citizenship to children born in the United States, even if neither parent has legal immigration status, a poll has found. About 59% of respondents, including 89% of Democrats and 36% of Republicans, said they opposed the abolition of birthright citizenship.
Last week, a federal judge temporarily barred the Trump administration from making changes to birthright citizenship, but the White House vowed to continue the fight.
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70% of respondents oppose renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the American Gulf, an action Trump ordered on his first day in office. Only 25% of respondents supported the idea, while the rest were undecided.
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Some 59% of respondents, including 30% of Republicans, opposed Trump's moves to end federal efforts to promote the hiring of women and members of racial minority groups. When asked directly about Trump's executive order to close all federal offices of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), respondents were more evenly divided, with 51% opposed and 44% in favor, mostly along partisan lines.
Support for expanding fossil fuel drilling - another of the first policy changes of the new administration - was largely concentrated in the Trump party: 76% of Republicans supported easing drilling restrictions, while 81% of Democrats opposed it. About 59% of respondents said they opposed the US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement.
Public opinion was also divided along party lines on billionaire businessman Elon Musk, one of Trump's most prominent allies. While 75% of Republicans who participated in the survey said they had a positive view of Musk, 90% of Democrats said they had a negative view.
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One possible source of concern for Trump's political team could be the still overwhelming sense that price increases remain unchecked. About 50% of survey respondents said the country is on the wrong track when it comes to the cost of living, compared to 25% who said it is headed in the right direction. The rest said they were not sure or did not answer the question.
There were also positive indicators for Trump.
Some 48% of Americans approve of Trump's approach to immigration, compared to 41% who disapprove. And the poll found that Trump has a significant level of support for the hiring freeze he has ordered in most federal offices, with 49% of respondents supporting the freeze, including 80% of Republicans and 43% of Democrats.
Condic said that Trump may eventually be judged by the public on global issues such as the economy and immigration, and that opposition to smaller-scale policy measures may not be devastating.
"Trump was elected largely because voters tended to support him on the economy and immigration. To the extent that he's seen as doing positive things on that, that's probably good for him," Condick said.
But, he added, if voters in the coming months feel that Trump's immigration crackdown or his efforts to reduce the size of government are too harsh, that could change.
Addendum
The Reuters/Ipsos poll, which was conducted online and across the country from January 24 to 26, covered 1,034 adults.
The margin of error of the survey is about 4 percentage points.