What's really going on with public opinion of the president and our view of the direction of the country? On August 2017, Trump's lowest ratings were at 37% approval. Earlier this year, his highest approval ratings were 45%. As of today, President Trump is at 42%. Without a doubt, the hyped Chinese tariff fears have impacted the president over the past week. He’s off a point or two with all groups of voters this week. No doubt it’s a high stakes standoff but, as I’ve recently pointed out, we heard the same concerns and news stories in January of 2018 with the initial tariffs and all that happened was unemployment reaching a 49-year low, record stock market performance and the best economic growth in a generation.
It’s been the case throughout his term thus far, that the more informed and engaged someone politically is, the more likely they are to approve of President Trump. That remains the case once again this week, but the gap has narrowed. Adults averaged at 41%, registered voters came in at 42% and likely voters 47%. However, what you never hear reported are the ratings of the Democratic leaders opposing him. Let’s just say they need a huge push of support to simply catch President Trump’s approval ratings. Pelosi is at 38% and Schumer at 30%. What does that tell you about what’s really going on in this country? Pelosi is four points behind Trump and Schumer is 12 points behind the president in overall approval.
Looking at the direction of the country this week, we're 36% in the right direction, compared to 30% on inauguration day. That’s down two points this week, as it seems that perhaps the tariffs fears perpetuated aggressively in news media over the past week has had an impact. We are still 6% collectively more optimistic than we were during the Obama administration.
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