Donald Trump is incredibly unpopular. His approval rating across multiple polls is well below 40 percent. Fifty percent of respondents say his actions in office have been worse than expected, while only 27 percent support “all or most” of his policies, according to a January Pew Research Center poll. A sampling of polls from February and March found that on average, 58 percent of respondents disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy. In a separate poll, 59 percent said the economy is getting worse.
Even his standout issues are looking lackluster. Traditionally he has polled better on immigration than on other issues, but following the various “surges” of immigration enforcement that acted as de facto paramilitary occupations of cities like Minneapolis and Chicago, 49 percent of poll respondents say they “strongly disapprove” of Trump’s handling of immigration. Half of respondents, including a majority of self-described independents, now support abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) entirely.
Presidents typically enjoy broad support for military actions. An embarrassingly high number of Americans — 40 percent, per CBS — support the US war on Iran, but this figure is still significantly lower than support for past major military conflicts. Just 7 percent of adults support sending ground troops into Iran, a prospect that seems increasingly likely. (A majority of Republican poll respondents support sending “special forces” troops but not a general invasion.) In contrast, CBS found that 92 percent of Americans say the top priority should be ending the conflict as quickly as possible, and 68 percent say Trump has not clearly explained the United States’ goals in attacking Iran.
Trump’s war of choice on Iran has already sent gas prices soaring 32 percent higher than before the attack, with no end in sight for rises in the price of oil. As the conflict drags on, the cost of oil will have an exponential effect on the prices…
Auteur: Ben Beckett
