A recent CBS News/YouGov poll has found that more than half of American adults have a positive view of Donald Trump’s performance in his first weeks in office. Fifty-three percent of respondents approve of his actions and 70 percent believe the Republican is keeping his campaign promises.
The survey, conducted from February 5 to 7 among 2,175 adult Americans with a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points, shows a more positive outlook than during Trump’s first term in office. In January 2017, his approval rating was 44 percent, according to Bloomberg.
Despite the “honeymoon period” many respondents are concerned that Trump is not doing enough to lower consumer prices, the news agency reported. Sixty-six percent of respondents expressed this view, with half of them being Republicans.
A majority (56 percent) supports the imposition of a 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods, but opposes tariffs on Mexican (56 percent), Canadian (62 percent) and European (60 percent) products. The measures against China have been in effect since February 4, while the imposition of 25 percent tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods has been delayed by a month.
Trump’s plans for mass deportation of illegal immigrants are supported by 59 percent of respondents, as well as the deployment of troops to the Mexican border, which is backed by 64 percent. In contrast, the idea of creating detention centers for illegal immigrants until they are deported is less popular, with 48 percent of Americans in support and 52 percent opposed.
Regarding Elon Musk, only 23 percent of respondents think that the Department of Government Efficiency, led by him, should have a “strong” influence on government affairs and spending. Forty-nine percent of respondents believe the department should have no control over the government.
According to an analysis by the authors of the FiveThirtyEight opinion research project, Trump’s average approval rating since taking office on January 20 is 48 percent. Morning Consult reported a three-percentage-point drop in approval from 52 to 49 percent after the first week of the president’s term.
In comparison, Trump’s predecessors had higher approval ratings at the start of their presidencies: Joe Biden, 57 percent; Barack Obama, 66 percent; and George W. Bush, 59 percent.