We have settled into the second Trump presidency, marked by a litany of executive orders targeting foreign aid spending, transgender participation in sports, public sector layoffs, and pardons for convicted violent offenders.
What do Americans think of these new objectives and the so-called “concepts of a plan” that have now materialized?
New polling indicates a decline in Trump’s approval ratings. IPSOS reports a 13-point drop just 33 days into his second term, with only 40% of Americans approving of his actions. Quinnipiac and Gallup show declines of 5 and 7 points, respectively, while a CNN poll conducted with SSRS Research finds that 52% of Americans disapprove of the president, compared to 47% who approve.
Much of the criticism stems from the involvement of billionaire Elon Musk in the Trump administration, particularly with the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk and DOGE have been laying off public employees and shutting down government-funded programs, a move that has been largely unpopular with the public.
Interestingly, many Americans seem to favor the very institutions Musk is dismantling over Musk and DOGE itself. Polling shows that 50% of respondents hold a favorable view of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), 61% approve of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and 46% support USAID. In contrast, DOGE has only a 42% favorability rating. Despite this, all of these agencies have been gutted under Musk’s influence, with the consequences being felt across the country and the world as Americans who once relied on these programs can no longer do so.
Trump secured his re-election largely on the basis of his economic policies, with inflation being a primary concern for voters. However, as his new policies take effect, many of those same voters are now experiencing the consequences of their decisions. A Reuters poll indicates that only 32% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of inflation, even lower than the 39% who approve of his economic policies overall.
Another highly controversial move by Trump has been his sweeping pardons of all January 6th defendants and convicts, as well as other violent offenders, including individuals convicted of assaulting police officers and anti-abortion extremists who harassed and attacked patients at abortion clinics. These actions have been met with widespread disapproval, with polling showing that Americans oppose these pardons by a staggering margin of 83% to 14%.
The president is expected to represent the country and the will of the people. While some of Trump’s policies have more support than others, the overwhelming majority of his initial actions lack public backing. And last but certainly not least, these policies are undeniably causing real harm to the citizens of America and the rest of the world. A country where violent offenders walk free, public employees are laid off en masse, and essential government programs are dismantled is one that is straying further from the ideals of the American Dream. Restoring what has been lost will be a long and difficult battle.