Trump's approval and our view of the direction of the country for June 22nd
Bottom Line: This is a weekly story to get a reality/temperature check regarding what's really going on with public opinion of the President and our view of the direction of the country. First here's the high point, low point and current ratings for President Trump...
Trump's lowest ratings: 37% approval and 59% disapproval: -22% (8/4/17)
Trump highest approval ratings 45% approval and 43% disapproval (1/27/17): +2%
Trump's current ratings: 44% approval and 51% disapproval: -7%
There's a potentially another reminder about a narrative I've advanced since the conclusion of the 2016 election cycle. If the media had as much influence as we're inclined to assume Donald Trump would never have been president in the first place. In the face of the media and related left's effort to demonize President Trump related to the immigration crisis at the border – his average approval rating actually improved by a point over a week ago and is now as high as it's been in over 13 months.
Also, as has been the case for at least ten months, the average polling doesn't tell the full story. The more likely someone is to vote, the higher the President's overall approval rating.
With adult only samples his rating over the past week averaged: 43%
Registered voters: 42%
Likely voters: 48%
Looking at the direction of the country this week...
Where we stood on Inauguration Day:
Right Direction: 30%
Wrong Track: 59%
Net: -29%
Last Week:
Right Direction: 39%
Wrong Track: 52%
Net: -13%
And Today:
Right Direction: 40%
Wrong Track: 51%
Net: -11%
Change: +18% under Trump & +2% over the previous update.
Just as was the case with the Presidential approval rating, we have a second consecutive week of gains on our collective optimism and are now back to territory that's as positive as we've been about our country only three other times within the past nine years. Perhaps this is all part of the reason there's such a concerted effort to attempt to frame the immigration crisis as the fault of the Trump administration and Republicans. It might be getting close to desperation time to find something that'll stick on Trump and Republicans in advance of the midterms.