Trump’s approval at highest point
New survey shows a deeply divided electorate and a narrow but real path to reelection
WASHINGTON — Aided by a strong economy and perceptions he has dealt with it effectively, President Donald Trump’s approval rating has risen to the highest point of his presidency, though a slight majority of Americans continue to say they disapprove of his performance in office, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.
The survey highlights the degree to which Trump has a narrow but real path to reelection. His approval rating on most issues is net negative, and more than 6 in 10 Americans say he has acted in ways that are unpresidential since he was sworn into office. Still, roughly one-fifth of those who say he is not presidential say they approve of the job he is doing, and he runs even against four possible Democratic nominees in hypothetical general-election matchups. He trails decisively only to former Vice President Joe Biden.
Trump’s approval rating among voting-age Americans stands at 44 percent, up from 39 percent in April, with 53 percent saying they disapprove of him. Among registered voters, 47 percent say they approve of Trump while 50 percent disapprove. In April, 42 percent of registered voters said they approved while 54 percent said they disapproved.
More than a year before the general election and long before the Democrats will select their nominee, the 2020 contest is playing out against the backdrop of an electorate deeply divided over the president, with a small percentage of registered voters up for grabs. Both Democrats and the president enjoy solid bases of support, but more Americans say it is extremely important that Trump not
win reelection than those who say it is extremely important that he is reelected.
The economy is the lone issue in the survey where Trump enjoys positive numbers, with 51 percent saying they approve of the way he has dealt with issues. A smaller 42 percent disapprove of his handling of it, down slightly from 46 percent last October. Asked how much credit Trump deserves for the state of the economy, 47 percent say a “great deal” or a “good amount,” while 48 percent say he deserves “only some” or “hardly any.”
On the eight other issues measured, Trump gets negative ratings, ranging from a net negative of seven points on taxes to a net negative of 33 points on climate change. More than half of all Americans disapprove of his handling of immigration, health care, abortion, gun violence and “issues of special concern to women.”
The survey was conducted while Trump was attending a meeting of world leaders in Japan, where trade tensions with China were eased. He later met with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un — taking steps into that nation and coming to an agreement to restart nuclear negotiations. But by 55 percent to 40 percent, Americans disapprove of his handling of foreign policy.
The survey matched Trump against five possible Democratic nominees: Biden, Sens. Bernie Sanders, IVt., Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
Among registered voters, only Biden emerges with a clear advantage, leading Trump by 53 percent to 43 percent. Trump runs very close against Harris (46 percent Trump, 48 percent Harris) and Sanders (48 percent Trump, 49 percent Sanders), and he runs even against Warren (both at 48 percent) and Buttigieg (both at 47 percent).
Among the broader pool of voting-age adults, all five Democrats hold at least a slight advantage over
Trump.
Trump and Republicans are trying to attach the label of “socialist” to all the Democrats. Asked a generic question about a matchup between Trump and a candidate regarded as a socialist, the president holds a slight edge of 49 percent to 43 percent among registered voters.
Across the five matchups against named possible Democratic nominees, 41 percent of registered voters always choose the Democrat, and 40 percent always choose the president. Meanwhile, 54 percent of voters either support Trump against at least one named Democrat or say they would consider backing him.
Trump’s hardcore base includes 21 percent of registered voters who support him against any of the five possible Democratic challengers tested and say it is “extremely important” that he be reelected. That rises to 31 percent when those say it is “very important” that he win a second term are added to those solid Trump supporters.
Arrayed against Trump are 36 percent of registered voters who never support Trump in the matchups and say it is “extremely important” that the president not win a second term. That rises to 43 percent when those say it is “very important” that Trump not be reelected are added to those consistent anti-Trump voters.