Dante
"The Libido for the Ugly"
We're seeing people talking about and saying "Trump's Approval Rating is Only Better Than Trump's." And we hear them saying "The only new president Trump outperforms in the polls is himself." Trump seems to be so proud of himself with his ratings "on this his fifth Presidents’ Day in office."
Former and sitting presidents, vice presidents and their spouses attend former president Jimmy Carter's funeral n Washington on Jan. 9. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post)
Even though Trump remains a bottom-tier member of a certain group, he has never been one to pass up an opportunity to engage in Truthful Hyperbole, exaggeration, and calling any downside a win (see his comments on the Plaza Hotel sale).
There’s been reporting that Trump is pleased that a recent CBS News-YouGov poll showed his approval at 53 percent. His average is still below 50 percent, though, and that 53 percent is lower than Biden’s average approval rating at the same point in 2021.
But one finds solace where one can. For Trump, it’s outperforming 2017 counts.
YouGov has also tracked Trump’s favorability (that is, views of Trump himself) and approval (views of his presidency when he’s been in office) since early 2016. You can see that his favorability ticked upward after the 2016 and 2024 elections and that his initial approval rating now is higher than his initial approval rating eight years ago. You can also see that his approval rating is already starting to slip downward.
Trump’s second term has deviated from his first in a more significant way: He’s approaching the job as though his power and his role are largely unconstrained. To do so, he insists that he won the 2024 election in a rout (he didn’t) and that he has a sweeping mandate for the actions he’s taking (he doesn’t). A president who wants to assume the mantle of speaking for the people, though, must necessarily insist that the people agree with his actions. So a poll showing 53 percent approval becomes a hallmark of popularity.
Ranked against past presidents not named Trump, though, quite the opposite conclusion must be drawn.
we will TRY and
post a few graphics next
note: All text in Georgia font is OC
Former and sitting presidents, vice presidents and their spouses attend former president Jimmy Carter's funeral n Washington on Jan. 9. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post)
Even though Trump remains a bottom-tier member of a certain group, he has never been one to pass up an opportunity to engage in Truthful Hyperbole, exaggeration, and calling any downside a win (see his comments on the Plaza Hotel sale).
There’s been reporting that Trump is pleased that a recent CBS News-YouGov poll showed his approval at 53 percent. His average is still below 50 percent, though, and that 53 percent is lower than Biden’s average approval rating at the same point in 2021.
But one finds solace where one can. For Trump, it’s outperforming 2017 counts.
YouGov has also tracked Trump’s favorability (that is, views of Trump himself) and approval (views of his presidency when he’s been in office) since early 2016. You can see that his favorability ticked upward after the 2016 and 2024 elections and that his initial approval rating now is higher than his initial approval rating eight years ago. You can also see that his approval rating is already starting to slip downward.
Trump’s second term has deviated from his first in a more significant way: He’s approaching the job as though his power and his role are largely unconstrained. To do so, he insists that he won the 2024 election in a rout (he didn’t) and that he has a sweeping mandate for the actions he’s taking (he doesn’t). A president who wants to assume the mantle of speaking for the people, though, must necessarily insist that the people agree with his actions. So a poll showing 53 percent approval becomes a hallmark of popularity.
Ranked against past presidents not named Trump, though, quite the opposite conclusion must be drawn.
we will TRY and
post a few graphics next
note: All text in Georgia font is OC
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