A new CBS News poll released Sunday reveals President Donald Trump at his highest approval rating over both of his terms, with 53% of voters approving his leadership so far.
Just weeks into his second term, voters believe Trump has followed through on his campaign vows regarding issues like immigration, foreign affairs, and eliminating government waste. On “Face the Nation,” CBS host Margaret Brennan opened the show by discussing their new poll on voters’ feelings toward Trump with CBS News Elections and Surveys Executive Director Anthony Salvanto, in which he showed how the majority not only approve of the president but 70% believe he’s sticking to his campaign vows.
“I will keep it simple, Margaret. He’s doing, in the eyes of the public, what he said he would do in the campaign. There’s political value in that. In fact, 70% of people say he’s doing what he promised. That’s whether they approve of him or not,” Salvanto said.
“Now, there’s another part of this that continues over from the campaign. There were words that he was described as being tough, being energetic, and he still is today in big majority numbers,” Salvanto added. “So as people take a look in these first few weeks, there’s been a lot of activity. They’re getting that general sense of governance, and that’s being reflected in these early numbers. So that’s perception.”
The survey, which polled 2,175 U.S. adults between Feb. 5-7, found 69% described Trump as tough, 63% said he is energetic, 60% called him focused and 58% described him as effective. During his first few weeks in office, 49% of respondents said the president was doing more than they had expected, 41% said it was as much as they had expected and only 9% thought it was less than they had expected.
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While Trump shows positive signs on issues like deporting criminal illegal immigrants, with 59% approving of the crackdown, some Americans appear slightly concerned with issues regarding the economy. According to the survey, 66% of Americans said they did not believe the administration was focusing enough on lowering prices of goods and services, with 31% saying it was the right amount and 3% saying it was too much.
Respondents gave mixed feedback on prices they’ve been seeing over the last few weeks, with 47% saying prices in general were increasing and 41% saying they were staying about the same. The survey also showed a divide on gas and egg costs, with 33% saying their gas had gone up and 63% saying their egg prices had gone up, 41% saying their gas was the same and 23% saying their egg prices had stayed the same.
Trump, however, fared positively on his handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, with 54% approving of his leadership and 46% disapproving. On Tuesday evening, Trump appeared alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a press conference following their meeting to discuss the ongoing war in the Middle East, but eventually shocked reporters after he announced that the U.S. would be planning to “take over” the Gaza Strip in order for Palestinians to “have peace.”
While 47% of respondents said the idea was bad, 40% said they were still unsure of the issue and 13% believed it was a good idea. Notably, when asked how much they had read about the president’s comments on the issue, only 28% said they had read “a lot,” 38% said some, 23% said “not much,” and 11% said “nothing at all.”
Featured Image Credit: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America
