A little over a month after Donald Trump returned to the White House, the American public is equally divided on the impact his new administration will have on the federal government: 41% say Trump’s administration will improve the functioning of the federal government, while 42% say it will make it worse.
And although Trump is a familiar figure in political life, the number and scope of his executive actions in the first weeks have still challenged the expectations of many Americans:
• For nearly three in ten adults (28%), his actions so far have been better than expected.
• But for a larger slice (35%), his actions have been worse than expected.
• Another 36% say his initial actions were what they expected.
Echoing the partisan divisions during much of Trump’s first term in office, Republicans are optimistic about Trump’s actions and agenda, while Democrats find little to like:
• 67% of Republicans – including those who lean toward the GOP – support all or most of Trump’s plans and policies. In contrast, 84% of Democrats and Democratic leaners support few or none.
• About three-quarters of Republicans (76%) say Trump will improve the functioning of the federal government. An almost identical slice of Democrats (78%) say he will make it worse.
• Just over half of Republicans (53%) say Trump’s recent actions have been better than they expected, while six in ten Democrats (60%) say they have been worse than they expected.
All these numbers were found in a recent survey conducted by The Pew Research Center from January 27 to February 2 among 5,086 adults.
Trump’s Approval Rating
The study also found that 47% of Americans currently approve of Trump’s performance in office. This is a higher approval rating for Trump than at any point during his first term.
Still, his post-inauguration approval rating is lower than that of most other presidents dating back to Ronald Reagan. (The exception is George W. Bush’s initial second-term rating, which was equivalent to Trump’s current one.)
Source: The Pew Research Center