Weekly political update – Where news & perceptions meet reality
Bottom Line: This is your weekly reality check. What's really going on with public opinion of the president and our view of the direction of the country? Here it is...
- Trump's lowest rating: 37% approval (8/4/17)
- Trump highest approval rating: 46% approval (9/19/19)
- Trump's current rating: 44% approval
Here we are as a country having been put through a week and a half of public impeachment hearings following nearly two months of private impeachment hearings after two and a half years of the failed impeachment narrative of Trump – Russia collusion and President Trump’s average approval rating didn’t budge. There’s something to be said for what’s happening here. As cited yesterday, in the five polls taken just prior to the impeachment hearings starting last week and the polls as of Wednesday, President Trump gained in each. It’s clear people were unmoved by the Democrats latest effort. President Trump sits only 2% off his all-time high average approval rating. As I mentioned last week, President Trump is poised for upside heading towards year end against the backdrop of the great economy if there’s backlash against Democrats for pulling this impeachment lever.
Even in the middle of this three-year effort to impeach President Trump, his average approval is exactly where President Obama’s was on the same date. Literally to the same one-tenth of one percent. It’s been the case throughout his term thus far, that the more informed and engaged someone is politically, the more likely they are to approve of President Trump. That remains the case once again this week.
- Adult only samples:43%
- Registered voters: 44%
- Likely voters: 46%
What you never hear reported are the ratings of the Democratic leaders opposing him. Here’s the latest...
- Pelosi: 38%
- Schumer: 29%
Both Pelosi and Schumer were also unchanged this week. It’s notable that those pushing the impeachment remain far less popular than the person they’re attempting to impeach.
Looking at the direction of the country this week...
Where we stood on Inauguration Day:
- Right Direction: 30%
Today:
- Right Direction: 36%
Overall, even in the mist of impeachment palooza 2019, we’re 6% collectively more optimistic than we were during the Obama administration and up a point from last week.