Poll: Americans disapprove of Trump’s response to Charlottesville violence

Twice as many Americans disapprove than approve of President Donald Trump’s response to the deadly Charlottesville, Va., protests led by white supremacists that ignited widespread political backlash against the White House, although a majority of Republicans offer at least tepid support in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Trump’s handling of the racially charged clashes at the Unite the Right rally Saturday erupted into a major flashpoint in his administration and earned him rebukes from members of Congress, military leaders and major business executives. The president equivocated in denouncing the hate groups and cast blame on “both sides” for the deadly violence, prompting criticism that he was fanning racial tensions.

The Post-ABC survey finds overwhelming majorities across party lines saying it is unacceptable to hold white supremacist views, while 9 percent say such views are acceptable.

The public is less united on a central criticism of Trump’s remarks following the protests, with 42 percent saying he is putting white supremacists on equal standing with those who oppose these groups.

A majority of self-identified Republicans — more than 6 in 10 —approve of Trump’s response to the protests, according to the Post-ABC poll, while about 2 in 10 disapprove. Overall, Trump maintains an 80 percent job approval rating among Republicans, a number little changed from recent surveys.

The Post-ABC survey found that roughly 1 in 6 Americans either support the alt-right or say it is acceptable to hold white supremacist or neo-Nazi views. This subgroup approves of Trump’s overall job performance by 54 percent to 43 percent.

Nearly twice as many political independents disapprove as approve of Trump’s response to the protests, 55 percent to 28 percent, while 84 percent of Democrats say they disapprove.

The poll found broad disapproval of Trump’s Charlottesville reaction among racial minority groups. More than 8 in 10 African-Americans and nearly two-thirds of Hispanics disapprove. Among whites, 49 percent disapprove, while 35 percent approve. Independents lean narrowly toward saying Trump has put white supremacists on equal footing with their opponents, by 42 percent to 36 percent.