Trump’s poll numbers hit record low

WASHINGTON • One of Donald Trump’s personal lawyers has struck back at allegations the president’s son was guilty of wrongdoing by meeting Russian lobbyists last year, claiming the Secret Service would not have allowed any such meeting if it broke any rules.

Jay Sekulow, who ran a White House media blitz on TV talk shows Sunday, insisted there was nothing suspicious about Donald Trump Jr.’s meeting with a Russian lawyer and a lobbyist at Trump Tower.

“Well, I wonder why the Secret Service, if this was nefarious, why the Secret Service allowed these people in. The president had Secret Service protection at that point and that raised a question with me,” he told ABC News.

The spiralling Russia controversy helped push Trump’s approval ratings to a historic low over the weekend.

An ABC News/Washington Post poll released Sunday found that only 36 per cent of Americans approved of his record after six months in office — the lowest figure for a president at this stage since records began 70 years ago.

The numbers represent a decline from 42 per cent support in April. His disapproval rating has risen five points to 58 per cent. Overall, 48 per cent say they “disapprove strongly” of Trump’s performance in office, a level never reached by former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama and reached only in the second term of George W. Bush in ABC/Post polling.

Almost half of all Americans (48 per cent) see the country’s leadership in the world as weaker since Trump was inaugurated, compared with 27 per cent who say it is stronger. Despite the fact that Trump campaigned as someone skilled at making deals that would be good for the country, majorities also say they do not trust him in negotiations with foreign leaders and in particular Russian President Vladimir Putin.