President Donald Trump is underwater as he hits the 100-day mark of his term, according to a flurry of polls released this week. Overall approval ratings from the various polls have Trump at anywhere from 39% to 44% — the worst of any president’s first 100 days in 80 years (the previous record low was Trump’s approval rating in his first 100 days in 2017).
The high mark of 44% comes from . However, that same Fox poll had 71% of respondents expressing a negative view of the economy, a mere 28% expressing views that things would improve and only 40% saying they believe Trump’s policies would help the country in the long run. The numbers from other polls are even worse, showing Trump in terrible shape with voters even on issues where he was expected to be the strongest, like immigration and the economy.
As it turns out, unforced economic self-sabotage, tanking markets, chaos in federal agencies due in part to random layoffs and mass deportation of immigrants without due process are all unpopular at historic levels.
Bear in mind, it’s early, which cuts both ways. One could argue the new administration needs time to settle into its stride. Then again, if most Americans don’t think the situation is going to get any better and are this rattled 100 days in, that’s not good.
Others might suggest that these are just polls and don’t mean much. The history of polling, with the 2016 election as one of the minute examples of major deviations, would seem to suggest otherwise.
The better area of examination is whether the polls will prompt any action. Already some pundits, including conservatives in the never-Trump camp, are asking if this is what Congress, especially kowtowing Republicans, needs to see to finally get out from under Trump’s heavy thumb. Such a suggestion seems naive. If multiple felony convictions, two impeachments and an insurrection weren’t enough for the GOP to ditch Trump, why would bad polling suddenly do the trick?
But another question is what Democrats can offer other than pointing out what a disaster Trump has been and continues to be. Even Republicans who secretly loathe Trump have hoped he would somehow do himself in, but it’s been proven time and again he has a significant base of supporters who don’t care how unqualified, undisciplined and inept Trump is. In fact, they love him for those qualities, especially his belligerence.
So, while suggesting Republicans grow a spine as America is shaped into an oligarchy is a reasonable sentiment, at some point Democrats need to seize the initiative and come up with a platform that the U.S. populace can buy into as a better way forward.
