Donald Trump Is Unpopular. That Only Matters in a Democracy.

US democracy has been degrading for years. Donald Trump has the motive, the disposition, and the political and legal infrastructure to simply circumvent it, especially with such low approval ratings and midterm elections around the corner.

President Trump Departs Washington For Weekend In Florida

Donald Trump is deeply unpopular and convinced he can only lose through fraud. Now he’s seeking direct control over elections, while ICE has demonstrated that it will act as his personal paramilitary force. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)


Donald Trump is incredibly unpopular. His approval rating across multiple polls is well below 40 percent. Fifty percent of respondents say his actions in office have been worse than expected, while only 27 percent support “all or most” of his policies, according to a January Pew Research Center poll. A sampling of polls from February and March found that on average, 58 percent of respondents disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy. In a separate poll, 59 percent said the economy is getting worse.

Even his standout issues are looking lackluster. Traditionally he has polled better on immigration than on other issues, but following the various “surges” of immigration enforcement that acted as de facto paramilitary occupations of cities like Minneapolis and Chicago, 49 percent of poll respondents say they “strongly disapprove” of Trump’s handling of immigration. Half of respondents, including a majority of self-described independents, now support abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) entirely.

Presidents typically enjoy broad support for military actions. An embarrassingly high number of Americans — 40 percent, per CBS — support the US war on Iran, but this figure is still significantly lower than support for past major military conflicts. Just 7 percent of adults support sending ground troops into Iran, a prospect that seems increasingly likely. (A majority of Republican poll respondents support sending “special forces” troops but not a general invasion.) In contrast, CBS found that 92 percent of Americans say the top priority should be ending the conflict as quickly as possible, and 68 percent say Trump has not clearly explained the United States’ goals in attacking Iran.

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