February 21, 2025

Friday, February 21, 2025. Annette’s Roundup for Democracy.

Many of Trump’s early actions are unpopular, Post-Ipsos poll finds.

Reviews from Americans on Trump’s second term are mixed to negative, and 57 percent say he has exceeded his authority since taking office.

President Donald Trump has opened his second term with a flurry of actions designed to radically disrupt and shrink the federal bureaucracy, but reviews from Americans are mixed to negative on many of his specific initiatives, and 57 percent say he has exceeded his authority since taking office, according to a Washington Post-Ipsos poll

Overall, 43 percent of Americans say they support what the president has done during his first month in office, with 48 percent saying they oppose. Those who strongly oppose outnumber those who strongly support by 37 percent to 27 percent.

The president’s supporters applaud him for deporting undocumented immigrants and cutting government waste. Those unhappy with the direction he is taking the country say they fear Trump is allowing billionaire Elon Musk to dismantle critical government programs.

Almost 9 in 10 Republicans support his actions, while 9 in 10 Democrats oppose them. Among independents, about 1 in 3 support what he’s done, and half oppose. The remainder are unsure whether they support or oppose what is taking place.

Trump’s initiatives have drawn numerous lawsuits attempting to block or slow his progress, along with claims from critics that he lacks the authority to do many of the things he has proposed. While most Americans agree with the view that he has exceeded his authority, 40 percent say he has the power to do what he’s doing. About 2 in 3 say Trump should have to get approval from Congress to freeze funding for programs previously approved by Congress and past presidents.

The best and worst things Trump has done, in respondents’ own words:

“Hiring Elon Musk to gut the government. Elon Musk may be a brilliant man, but he is not good working with people and does not know what he is doing quite frankly.”
— Independent White woman from Texas

“Securing the border and deporting illegal aliens who are known criminals. Also cleaning up the massive corrupt debt in the government.”
— Republican White woman from Florida

“Allow Elon Musk access to government institutions without oversight and tons of conflicts of interest.”
— Democratic Black man from California

Americans also are clear what the president should do if a federal court rules that he has done something illegal. More than 8 in 10 say he should follow the court ruling. That includes more than 9 in 10 Democrats along with roughly 8 in 10 Republicans and independents.

A majority of Americans believe the Supreme Court will try to stop Trump if he goes beyond his authority, but when asked whether Republicans in Congress will try to stop him if that happens, a majority say that Republican lawmakers are likely to go along with what Trump wants to do.

Overall, the Post-Ipsos poll finds 45 percent of adults approve of the way Trump is handling his job, while 53 percent disapprove. That net-negative rating is worse than findings in other public polls. A Washington Post average of February polls shows 47 percent approving and 49 percent disapproving. Whether the difference reflects normal variation in public polls or a more negative reaction to recent actions is not clear.

Trump’s approval in the Post-Ipsos poll is significantly better than it was when he left office in January 2021, when 38 percent said they approved of the job he was doing. It is also somewhat better than where he stood early in his first term. (The Washington Post).

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See you tomorrow.

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