One may disagree with President Donald Trump’s policies, but it’s difficult to disagree that he’s shot out the gate of his second term. According to the latest CBS News/YouGov poll, Trump has remarkably high marks on his first weeks in office, although there are warning signs on key issues from the 2024 election.
By The Numbers:
Trump’s approval rating is at 53% and a whopping 70% of Americans said Trump is doing what he promised on the campaign trail.
Sixty-nine percent of Americans say that Trump is “tough;” 63% said Trump is “energetic;” 60% said he is “focused” and 58% said he is “effective.” That latter attribute is especially important in these first few weeks.
Americans said they approve of Trump’s actions on deporting illegal immigrants (59%), troops to the U.S.-Mexican border (64%), and Israel-Hamas conflict (54%). But they also said they do not believe Trump is paying enough attention to the economy. Sixty-six percent of Americans said Trump is “not spending enough” focus on lowering prices. Only 31% said he’s spending the right amount.
The Bottom Line: Bringing down the cost of living was one of the main deciding issues of the 2024 campaign. While Americans are pleased with how Trump is handling they border, they could grow impatient about bringing down prices. When the poll asked about Trump’s proposed tariffs, the one economic tactic on which he has been focused, Americans said they oppose his proposed tariffs except for those he’d levy on China. While Trump floods the zone with executive orders, he runs the risk that Americans will get the impression he’s more focused on culture-war issues and symbolism more than inflation and the economy. At some point, he’ll need to start working with Congress to institute real change that will strengthen the economy and restrain inflation.
