Donald Trump and voters: assessments of the key issues

Abstract

Based on a vast number of US public opinion surveys the article considers the American attitudes towards the activities of President Donald Trump. The analysis of public opinion during his presidency shows that many Americans do not approve of President Trump’s approach to the key domestic and foreign issues. These public assessments might shape voting decisions during the upcoming elections in November 2020.

Americans positively assess Trump’s activities in economy: they point to economic growth, a decrease in unemployment rate and expect positive changes. However, many of them emphasize that tax cuts have mainly benefited the rich, whereas the majority of non-white population perceives Trump’s economic policy in a negative way. In addition, most of Americans are extremely negative about the radical changes to the ACA (ObamaCare).

US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change was one of the first Trump’s environmental initiatives. At that time, in 2017, the surveys showed that a large majority of the population was against that (53%), whereas only 30% supported the decision. 

As to immigration policies, Americans have picked a side: they are ready to accept illegal immigrants who came to the country as children; they are opposed to the construction of the US-Mexico border wall and say that the number of migrants should be the same as today or even rise but not go down. These assessments go contrary to Trump’s policies.

Fifty-three percent of the voters consider that “US President Donald Trump did not tell the truth about his policy towards Ukraine”; 54% say that “he abused his power regarding Ukraine”; 52%, that Trump was impeding congressional investigation into his actions regarding Ukraine. And 48% believe that Trump committed crimes as president (4% oppose that).

Most Americans are critical of the Trump’s actions during the coronavirus outbreak, especially at a starting stage.  On the whole, 50% of Americans assess President Trump’s performance in a negative way; 40% give positive assessments; 10% have no opinion. Economy is the only area where positive assessments overweigh the negative ones (50% vs 39%).