First post-election poll shows Trump has a 54% approval rating
Nominations to the future Trump administration have been one of the key factors influencing these ratings.
Trump led his latest rally in Georgia
Donald Trump begins his tenure as president-elect with a positive approval rating among Americans. The first poll released after the November 5 election shows the Republican with an overall approval rating of 54%.
This data comes from the Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll, which also shows a 40% disapproval rating for Trump's performance in the weeks following his election. Respondents' perceptions may be influenced by his nominations for the administration, as well as his statements and actions since November 5.
Among Democrats, Trump received only 22% approval and 73% disapproval. In contrast, Republican voters show near-universal support for the president-elect, with 91% approval.
Independents are divided, but those who approve of Trump outnumber those who disapprove by 10 points, approaching nearly 50%. Finally, 12% of independents remain undecided.
Trump's approval rating as president-elect is 12 points higher than President Biden's, which stands at 42%, consistent with his rating over the past several months in the survey.
Currently, citizens' assessments of Trump are largely centered on who will be part of his future administration. Some nominations, such as those of Marco Rubio or Elon Musk, have received little attention, while others, like those of Pete Hegseth and Matt Gaetz, have generated much more controversy.
Expectations about the Trump administration
In this segment of the survey, it is clear that 54% of Americans believe Trump is working to unify the nation. Around 52% also think that the alarmist rhetoric about the 'threat to democracy' posed by Trump was merely election talk, while 48% consider it a genuine concern.
Regarding nominations, eight members of the administration have received approval ratings above 30%. As is common with these polls, a significant portion of Americans remain undecided, with the option of not responding consistently ranging from 25% to 46%.
Elon Musk is Trump’s most approved prospective cabinet member, with 38% approval, but also the most disapproved, at 37%. Following him with similar approval ratings, but with more indifference and less disapproval, are Mike Huckabee, Susie Willies, Vivek Ramaswamy, Marco Rubio, and Tom Homan.
Despite this, the GOP's overall approval ratings have grown in the last month and increased to 49%, while disapproval dropped to 51%. This approval increased to 59% in rural areas of the country.
Approval of the Democratic Party dropped from 47% to 44%. Just over a quarter of voters believe the country is currently on the right track, marking a 4-point decline since October.
New York trial
This week, Judge Merchan ruled in New York that sentencing in the Stormy Daniels case would be postponed, meaning that a final conviction may not occur until after Donald Trump's presidency ends in 2029.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Alvin Bragg declined to have the case dismissed but submitted a brief to Judge Merchan stating that he would not oppose pausing the trial.
According to the poll, which was conducted before these decisions were made public on Tuesday, 53% of respondents said Trump should continue to be tried on the charges he faces, while 47% believed the cases should be dismissed.
When asked the same question about whether Hunter Biden should be pardoned or if his trial should proceed as scheduled, 75% of respondents said he should be tried and convicted if deemed appropriate.
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