Poll: President-Elect Trump

This Navigator Research report contains polling data on the latest perceptions of President-elect Trump ahead of his inauguration, including what things are perceived to get better or worse when he takes office, what outcomes of his economic policies are viewed as most likely to occur, as well as what news about Trump is breaking through to Americans.

President-elect Trump’s favorability rating has reached the highest point in Navigator tracking since 2020.

Ahead of President-elect Trump’s inauguration his favorability remains high, as half approve of how he is handling the presidential transition. By a 6-point margin, half of Americans approve of the way Donald Trump is handling the presidential transition (50 percent approve – 44 percent disapprove), fueled mostly by Republicans (net +82; 89 percent approve – 7 percent disapprove), while four in five Democrats (net -63; 16 percent approve – 79 percent disapprove) and half of independents disapprove (net -25; 35 percent approve – 50 percent disapprove).

• Trump’s favorability remains narrowly underwater and at an all-time high in Navigator tracking since 2020 (net -2; 48 percent favorable – 50 percent unfavorable), though he remains 20 points underwater with independents (37 percent favorable – 57 percent unfavorable). President Biden’s job approval remains underwater by 17 points (40 percent approve – 57 percent disapprove), including 23 points among independents (33 percent approve – 56 percent disapprove).  
• Trump and Republicans in Congress maintain the public’s trust when it comes to jobs and the economy (net -12; 39 percent Democrats – 51 percent Trump/Republicans), inflation (net -13; 37 percent Democrats – 50 percent Trump/Republicans), immigration (net -16; 32 percent Democrats – 58 percent Trump/Republicans), and the southern border (net -17; 31 percent Democrats – 58 percent Trump/Republicans). Democrats are more trusted when it comes to abortion (net +13; 50 percent Democrats – 37 percent Trump/Republicans), public health (net +10; 47 percent Democrats – 37 percent Trump/Republicans), and Social Security and Medicare (net +8; 48 percent Democrats – 40 percent Trump/Republicans).

Americans believe the economy and immigration will get better under Trump, while political division and abortion access are expected to get worse.

Among a list of things that could occur when Trump takes office, Americans are most likely to believe the situation regarding immigration (net +19; 53 percent better – 34 percent worse), the economy (net +9; 47 percent better – 38 percent worse), and the government’s ability to get things done (43 percent better – 36 percent worse) will get better. Half of Americans believe abortion access (net -34; 16 percent better – 50 percent worse) and political division (net -24; 26 percent better – 50 percent worse) will get worse under a Trump presidency. Americans are more divided on whether things like personal finances, crime rates, or foreign conflicts will get better.

• Seven in ten Americans believe Trump and Republicans in Congress are most focused on immigration (71 percent), followed distantly by inflation and the cost of living (36 percent). Without context, Trump’s mass deportation plan is supported by half of Americans (net +10; 51 percent support – 41 percent oppose). Context matters when discussing Trump’s mass deportation plans: a majority oppose the plan when framed as “plan to deport and remove all undocumented immigrants currently living in the country, including those who came to the United States as children and those who have lived and worked here for decades” (net -8; 43 percent support – 51 percent oppose), while more than two in three support it when framed as a “plan to deport all illegal immigrants, starting with violent criminals” (net +41; 68 percent support – 27 percent oppose).
• Americans support pathways to legal citizenship to undocumented immigrants as an alternative to mass deportation. Providing legal status, described as “while we should deport violent criminals, we should find a way to provide legal status to undocumented immigrants who are working here and pass a background check, especially those who came here as children or have worked here for decades” is preferred over mass deportation, described as “a national effort to deport and remove all illegal immigrants, starting with violent criminals” (net +30; 65 percent legal status – 35 percent mass deportation).

Tax cuts for billionaires and big corporations seen as the most likely consequence of Trump’s policies.

Tax cuts for billionaires and big corporations, more manufacturing in America, and more jobs created are viewed as the most likely outcomes from Trump’s economic policies. Among a list of potential results of Trump’s economic policies, the ones viewed as most likely to occur include taxes for billionaires and big corporations decreasing (net +21; 55 percent likely – 34 percent not likely), more manufacturing happening here in America (net +20; 55 percent likely – 35 percent unlikely), and more jobs being created (net +10; 51 percent likely – 41 percent unlikely). 

• Personal economic costs going down is viewed as the least likely outcome from Trump’s policies, including personal health care costs going down (net -37; 27 percent likely – 64 percent unlikely), personal utility costs like electricity going down (net -31; 30 percent likely – 61 percent unlikely), personal taxes going down (net -21; 35 percent likely – 56 percent unlikely), and personal cost of living decreasing (net -21; 37 percent likely – 58 percent unlikely). 
• Americans are more divided on whether inflation will decrease (net -4; 45 percent likely – 49 percent unlikely), the middle class will grow (net -6; 42 percent likely – 48 percent unlikely), and that there will be less waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending (net -8; 42 percent likely – 50 percent unlikely).

Three in four report hearing news about President Trump in recent days, with most being negative.

74 percent of Americans report hearing either “a lot” (40 percent) or “some” (34 percent) about Donald Trump lately, while 38 percent say it is mostly negative or an equal mix of positive and negative (27 percent). Among those hearing negative things, they cite “conviction,” “felon,” “sentenced,” and “Greenland.” 58 percent say they have heard “a lot” or “some” about Donald Trump pushing for the U.S. to take control of Greenland and the Panama Canal. 

• Americans are split on whether the government under Trump will represent “you and people like you” better or worse under his presidency (42 percent better – 42 percent worse). A plurality of independents believe Trump will represent “you and people like you” worse (net -17; 26 percent better – 43 percent worse).