Public Slowly Warming Up to Trump

Hillary Clinton and many of her loyal fellow Democrats, continually pointed to many polls that indicated more Americans held an unfavorable view of Donald Trump than a favorable one. Ironically, the same polls also showed that more Americans held a negative or unfavorable view of Hillary Clinton than viewed her more favorably.

There is no doubt that the 2016 presidential campaign was one for the record book as it was by far the most negative mudslinging presidential race in modern history. It may have even surpassed the negative campaigns of 1824 and 1828 between John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. In 1824, Jackson won the popular and electoral vote but Adams won the White House. Jackson didn’t win enough electoral votes to secure a majority so the vote went to the House of Representatives where Adams campaigned hard but Jackson didn’t. The House voted to give Adams the presidency. Four years later, Jackson entered the presidential race with all guns blazing and defeated Adams.

According to the latest Rasmussen Reports poll, the public’s view of President-elect Donald Trump has shifted to a more favorable view than previously.

In mid-October, a Rasmussen Report poll revealed that only 39% of registered voters held a favorable view of Donald Trump. In the same mid-October poll, 43% of registered voters held a favorable view of Hillary Clinton.

Just prior to Thanksgiving, a Rasmussen Report showed that Trump’s favorable rating had risen to 50%, but still had an unfavorable rating by 48% of registered voters.

In the latest Rasmussen Report, Trump’s favorable rating rose only slightly to 51%. Likewise, his unfavorable rating dropped slightly to 47%. Of those that view Trump favorably, 29% said they had a very favorable view of Trump. Of those that held an unfavorable view, 36% said they had a very unfavorable view of Trump.

Party breakdown of the recent poll indicated that 84% of Republicans held a favorable view of Trump and 53% of them held a very favorable view of the president-elect. On the flip side and to no surprise, 74% of Democrats polled held an unfavorable view of Trump and 63% of Democrats held a very unfavorable view of Trump.

Of registered voters who responded to the Rasmussen Reports poll who say they have no political party affiliation, only 25% held a favorable view of Trump and 32% held an unfavorable view.

When asked about Trump’s early performance, the poll was split with 47% approving and 47% disapproving.

While Trump is held as more favorable among white voters (53%), his favorable rating among blacks is starting to rise. A month ago, 61% of blacks rated Trump as unfavorable, but in the latest poll, that number dropped to 56%. Among all minorities, Trump is held as favorable by only 46% while 49% view him as unfavorable.

The bottom line is that more Americans are beginning to accept the fact that Donald Trump won the electoral vote and will be sworn in as America’s 45^th President. If Trump lives up to just half of this campaign promises, is favorable or approval ratings will continue to steadily climb and he just may win a second term in office However, if he fails to keep many of this campaign promises, not only will he probably lose a bid for re-election but Republicans could lose control of both the House and Senate.