President Trump has been in office for 17 months and nine days. Over that time, his approval rating has been remarkably steady: ranging from 39 to 42 percent on the RealClearPolitics average of polls for two-thirds of his presidency.
Here’s what those percentages look like, from a recent Suffolk University-USA Today poll. A thumbs up indicates that 1 percent of the group agrees with Trump; a thumbs down is disagreement. In those cases where the figure is provided, a question mark indicates a percentage of the poll respondents who didn’t have an opinion on the subject.
Approve of job performance. (Suffolk-USA Today)
That same poll showed something interesting: People like Trump a bit less than they approve of what he’s doing. In other words, even people who think he’s doing a good job don’t all like him.
Favorable view of Trump. (Suffolk-USA Today)
We decided, in honor of Trump’s, uh, 526th day in office, to compile a number of poll results on key subjects to determine where Americans were the most and least in agreement with his agenda.
In each illustration below, the question is simple: How much of each group agrees with Trump’s position on the issue? At a glance, the density of thumbs ups in each square give a sense of how popular Trump’s views are. (On a mobile phone? Scroll within the boxes to see other partisan groups.)
Approve of Trump’s handling of the economy. (CNN-SSRS)
Favorable view of tax bill. (Quinnipiac University)
Approve of Trump’s handling of foreign trade. (CNN-SSRS)
Support applying new tariffs on steel and aluminum. (Fox News)
Approve of Trump’s handling relations with North Korea. (Suffolk-USA Today)
Approve of Trump’s handling relations with traditional allies. (Suffolk-USA Today)
Approve of Trump’s handling of immigration. (CNN-SSRS)
Support building the wall. (Quinnipiac University)
Support family separation policy. (Quinnipiac University)
Deport immigrants in the country illegally. (Quinnipiac University)
Handling immigration well or not aggressive enough on immigration. (Quinnipiac University)
Immigration should be decreased. (Quinnipiac University)
Approve of Trump’s handling of health-care policy. (CNN-SSRS)
View Obamacare unfavorably. (Kaiser Family Foundation)
Support arming teachers. (Fox News)
Support putting armed guards in schools. (Fox News)
See special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation as a witch hunt. (CNN-SRSS)
Support how Trump is handling Russia investigation. (CNN-SRSS)
Oppose Mueller’s handling of investigation. (CNN-SRSS)
Approve of Trump’s handling of pardons. (Suffolk-USA Today)
Want to overturn Roe v. Wade. (Kaiser Family Foundation)
Think media are the enemy of the people (as opposed to an important part of democracy). (Quinnipiac University)
The issue where Americans are most in agreement with Trump (among those selected)? Adding armed guards to schools. Least? Decreasing immigration.
Over and over, though, the pattern is the same: A bit under half the country agrees with Trump, with Republicans heavily backing him and Democrats not. Independents, you’ll notice, often align with the overall figures, a function of that group mostly being made up of people who tend to vote with one party or the other anyway.
This is not new to Trump. It’s what we saw under the last several years of Barack Obama’s presidency, as well. It is the pattern now, it was the pattern yesterday — and there is every indication it will be the pattern tomorrow.
