Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump is facing a greater level of ire. His approval rating has sunk to a second-term low of 37%, further underscoring deep public anxiety over his unprecedented advance of presidential power and its corrosiveness to American democracy. Critics argue that Trump’s actions, including authorizing international military strikes without congressional approval and deploying National Guard troops against the wishes of state officials, have undermined the checks and balances fundamental to the U.S. political system.
The Trump administration started the firestorm with a burst of executive orders. Significantly, all four of these orders required independent regulatory agencies to report directly to the White House. This proposal has sent up warning flares across the regulatory independence advocacy world, who worry that it is a step toward politicized, non-evidence-based decision-making. In spite of these concerns, 31% of Americans believe Trump has exercised his power well. By contrast, only 9% say that he hasn’t wielded enough authority.
Economic conditions continue to be a key concern for most Americans. Currently, only 27% believe Trump’s policies have improved the economy, while a significant 61% feel his administration’s actions have worsened economic prospects. Forty-seven percent of the populace agrees with them. In 2019 and again in 2020, they named the economy and cost of living as the most important problem facing the country. And yet, millions of Americans remain profoundly anxious about the economy. A remarkable 68% say that things are going “pretty/very badly” in the country, underscoring the level of dissatisfaction.
Crime and safety have emerged as a second hot-button issue during Trump’s presidency. The former president is committed to eliminating all crime across all large American cities. He terms these communities “hellholes,” and paints these neighborhoods as war-ravaged landscapes fraught with “crime, bloodshed, and bedlam.” Just 7% of Americans identify crime and safety as their greatest worry. This points to a troubling implication that on the Federal level, purely economic concerns trump all other public discourse. Twenty-six percent of Americans are very concerned about the state of our democracy. This suggests a genuine grassroots alarm about the direction of politics today.
On immigration policy Trump’s 24/7 ICE raids and his deep cuts to refugee admissions have been denounced. Yet, in the new political reality, just 10% of Americans believe immigration is a top issue.
Poll after poll shows that the dominant mood from the American public is one of increasing concern, if not alarm, about Trump’s style of governing. A surprising 61% of Americans think that he has overstepped proper boundaries in the use of his presidential powers. This perception of federal overreach is understandably making his approval ratings plummet. Americans are growing impatient with the ways in which his administration is mishandling their top priorities.