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The Hill
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hill
After the Epstein fallout, Republicans are finally finding their spines
As President Trump hits the six-month mark in his second term, only a minority of Americans approve of his dismal job performance. His approval ratings will fall even lower as his incompetence, dishonesty, cruelty, destructive policies and efforts to rule like a dictator become ever more apparent. The most recent RealClearPolitics average of 12 polls published between July 6 and July 20 finds that 45.5 percent of Americans approve of Trump's overall job performance, while 52.1 percent disapprove. Going back to 1945, Gallup polls found only three presidents with worse average approval ratings during their terms of office: Harry Truman (45.4 percent), Trump during his first term (41.1 percent) and Joe Biden (42.2 percent). Jimmy Carter's approval rating was tied with Trump's, while the remaining post-World War II presidents had higher average approval ratings, led by John F. Kennedy (70.1 percent). If Trump's approval ratings keep sinking, as I believe they will, we can look for growing numbers of congressional Republicans to jump ship, fearing they will sink with him when they are next up for reelection. That means more Republican lawmakers will stop acting like Trump's little lapdogs, kept on a tight leash, following his every command and supporting virtually every action he takes, no matter how absurd and harmful. Republican senators and House members need to remember that they were elected to work for the best interests of our country and their constituents — not the best interests of Trump. If they start doing this, America and the American people will be much better off. Democratic lawmakers will have the same responsibility when a Democrat is next in the White House. Unfortunately, Republican majorities that control the House and Senate have abdicated their responsibility under the Constitution to act as a check and balance on Trump's desire for unbridled power. Trump has arguably caused more damage to our country than any president in American history. In fact, short of launching a nuclear attack on America, Russian President Vladimir Putin likely couldn't do more damage to the U.S. than Trump has already done in the first six months of his second term. Republican lawmakers have let Trump and former first buddy Elon Musk reduce the size of the federal workforce by more than 100,000 dedicated civil servants through firings, layoffs and incentives to get employees to resign, with many more thousands of jobs expected to be eliminated soon. These reckless staffing cuts, along with big spending cuts, have made it impossible for agencies — including the Education Department, the Agency for International Development, the National Weather Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Voice of America and many others — to do all the things they did before Trump began his second term in January. To cite just a tiny fraction of examples: Billions of dollars in vital medical research on cancer and other deadly diseases that kill Americans every day has been halted, the ability to forecast and respond to natural disasters like the recent deadly floods in Texas has been weakened and people are dying in some of the poorest countries on Earth for lack of U.S. food and medical foreign aid. Colleges are being denied vital research funds and they and K-12 schools are losing aid to educate students; federal funding for public broadcasters PBS and NPR has been eliminated. Immigrants who committed no crime other than entering the U.S. without authorization are being seized without any due process and imprisoned, leaving no one to fill critical jobs they hold like harvesting crops and building housing. And we will all be hurt by Trump's on-again, off-again tariffs on most nations around the world, which we will pay like a sales tax whenever we buy something made or grown outside the U.S. and when we buy U.S. products containing foreign materials like steel or aluminum. These taxes will raise prices, increase inflation and take thousands of dollars a year from most families. On top of all this, Medicaid and Affordable Care Act cuts in Trump's so-called 'big beautiful bill' (which should more accurately be called the 'big horrible bill') could deprive an estimated 17 million of the poorest Americans of health insurance. The cuts could also force many rural hospitals to close. We can expect some people to get sicker and some to die as a result. Fortunately, we're beginning to see more Republicans grow spines to stand up to Trump. Not primarily because of all the problems caused by his policies and actions described above, but because of his conduct regarding his friend Jeffrey Epstein. Growing numbers of congressional Republicans are demanding that the Trump administration release investigative files dealing with Epstein, a convicted sex offender who killed himself in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on new federal charges of sex trafficking underage girls. Even extreme Trump sycophants like House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) have called for the Epstein files to be made public, as are many prominent MAGA influencers, rejecting Trump's demands that they cease doing so and rejecting his tirade of insults directed against them for believing what he calls a 'hoax' concocted by Democrats. Trump spent years as one of the most prominent figures spreading conspiracy theories about a 'deep state' cover-up of an Epstein 'client list' of rich and powerful men benefitting from Epstein's sex trafficking. Trump also questioned whether Epstein might have been murdered in jail. Most damning of all, Trump said when out of office that he might release the Epstein files if he became president again. But he recently said he backed Attorney General Pam Bondi's decision not to release any Epstein files. Under pressure from his base, he said in a social media post Thursday night that he had ordered Bondi to seek court approval to release grand jury transcripts in the case against Epstein. Bondi and she said she would do so. This would still keep much Justice Department material on Epstein under wraps. We'll know soon if Trump's low approval ratings and the MAGA revolt against his efforts to sweep the Epstein story under the rug is a turning point in the second Trump presidency. I hope it is and leads congressional Republicans to conclude that they should stop cowering in fear of Trump and start doing their jobs as public servants and defenders of our Constitution and rule of law. Donna Brazile is a political strategist, a contributor to ABC News and former chair of the Democratic National Committee. She is the author of '.'
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Approval rating, immigration: Trump polling numbers drop in new survey
Overall, the poll puts Trump's approval rating at 42%, with disapproval at 58%. The survey previously found Trump's approval rating was 45% in June and 47% in mid-April. In contrast, the second-term president's aggregate approval ratings from The New York Times and Real Clear Politics show a 44% and 45.5% approval, respectively, and a 53% and 52% disapproval. The new survey's findings come just a few days after Trump's approval numbers on immigration hit an all-time low since the start of his second term in a Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted between July 15 and July 16. Approximately 41% of Americans approved of the administration's immigration stances, while 51% disapproved. Among the 2,343 U.S. adult respondents in the CBS poll, 56% said they disapprove of the way the president is handling immigration, while 44% said they approve. That's a ten-point drop from when pollsters asked the same question at the beginning of the president's second term in February, the outlet reports, when 54% approved and 46% disapproved. The poll also specifically asked respondents about the administration's efforts to deport immigrants they say are in the U.S. illegally. Support for the push has also dropped ten points since February, with a majority now against the policies. Less than half - 49% - of respondents said they approved of the deportations in the July survey, compared to 59% in the results from February. "Approval of the deportation program has slipped over these months to become slightly net-negative now, with support becoming more exclusively drawn from Republicans and MAGA identifiers," CBS said upon release of the results on Sunday. The differences in support for Trump's immigration policies is split among party lines. Nearly all Republicans surveyed - 91% - say they approve of the president's deportation program. Among Democrats, 14% say they approve, while a majority - 86% - disapproved. Among independents, 59% were against the deportations and 41% were for them. The administration's use of detention facilities, like its deportation efforts, saw similar results in the July poll, with 58% disapproving and 42% approving of their use. Support was also drawn across party lines, with 85% of Republicans approving of the detention facilities, compared to 15% of Democrats. The poll was conducted between July 16-18. It has a margin of error of ?2.5 points. Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@ and on X @KathrynPlmr.
Newsweek
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Ken Paxton's Chances vs. John Cornyn Amid 'Biblical' Divorce, per Polls
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton holds a significant lead over Senator John Cornyn in a potential Republican primary matchup, according to polling. But that could change amid his ongoing high-profile divorce. Paxton's wife said Thursday she is filing for divorce "on biblical grounds," ending their 38-year marriage. Why It Matters Paxton's lead highlights deep fractures within Texas' GOP base and signals that Cornyn could face one of his toughest political fights. A Paxton-Cornyn matchup could test how much personal scandal and legal baggage matter to Republican primary voters, and it could reshape the balance of power in the Senate if Democrats can take advantage of an opening in a fractured Texas GOP. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (left) makes a statement at his office on May 26, 2023, in Austin and Senator John Cornyn speaks to the media at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on June 30,... Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (left) makes a statement at his office on May 26, 2023, in Austin and Senator John Cornyn speaks to the media at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on June 30, 2025. More AP What To Know The RealClearPolitics polling average shows that Paxton holds a significant lead over Cornyn. Between May 9 and May 28, Paxton's average support sat at 48.3 percent, compared with 33.7 percent for Cornyn, giving Paxton a lead of +14.6 percentage points. Individual polls also show a consistent advantage for Paxton. A poll conducted April 27-May 1 by the super PAC the Senate Leadership Fund showed Cornyn trailing Paxton by 16 percentage points, 56-40. A late May survey by Up One Insights found Paxton ahead by 22 points (50-28). A mid-May TSU/YouGov poll showed a tighter but still solid 9-point lead for Paxton (43-34). And Quantus Insights pegged Paxton at 52 percent, beating Cornyn's 39 percent by 13 points in a poll conducted in May. Meanwhile, a Pulse Decision Science poll, conducted on behalf of a Paxton-allied super PAC in June, showed the Texas attorney general with a commanding 19-point lead (57-38) in a head-to-head matchup. The poll also showed Paxton with higher name ID than Cornyn, who has long been a national figure on Capitol Hill, and that Paxton is far more well-liked that the incumbent senator. His net favorable-unfavorable ratio was 70-18, while Cornyn's was 53-30. Another June poll, conducted by the Conservative Policy Project, showed Cornyn trailing Paxton by 16 points. But Paxton's sizeable lead could crumble in light of his divorce proceedings. Paxton's wife, Angela Paxton, a state senator, announced their divorce in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday. "I believe marriage is a sacred covenant and I have earnestly pursued reconciliation. But in light of recent discoveries, I do not believe that it honors God or is loving to myself, my children, or Ken to remain in the marriage," she wrote. She did not elaborate on what her "recent discoveries" were, but in her divorce filing, obtained by CNN, she alleged that the attorney general had committed adultery and said they stopped living together about June 1, 2024. Ken Paxton pointed to "countless political attacks and public scrutiny" in his own X post, saying the two "have decided to start a new chapter in our lives." "I could not be any more proud or grateful for the incredible family that God has blessed us with, and I remain committed to supporting our amazing children and grandchildren," he said. "I ask for your prayers and privacy at this time." The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Senate GOP's campaign arm, sharply criticized Paxton in a statement that offered a window into how bitter the primary race could become. "What Ken Paxton has put his family through is truly repulsive and disgusting. No one should have to endure what Angela Paxton has, and we pray for her as she chooses to stand up for herself and her family during this difficult time," NRSC Communications Director Joanna Rodriguez said. Paxton, a staunch conservative and close ally of President Donald Trump, gained national attention for repeatedly suing to block Obama and Biden administration policies. But since becoming Texas attorney general in 2015, he has faced ongoing scandals. In 2023, the Texas House impeached him after he sought $3.3 million in taxpayer funds to settle a whistleblower lawsuit from former staffers who accused him of bribery and abuse of office. During his Senate impeachment trial, in which he was also accused of an extramarital affair tied to a real estate developer, his wife was present but barred from voting. He was ultimately acquitted by the state Senate. When asked about the Paxtons' recent divorce news, Cornyn called it a "private matter," though his campaign later amplified local coverage of the filing and highlighted Republican criticism of Paxton's scandals. What People Are Saying Ken Paxton, on X: "After facing the pressures of countless political attacks and public scrutiny, Angela and I have decided to start a new chapter in our lives. I could not be any more proud or grateful for the incredible family that God has blessed us with, and I remain committed to supporting our amazing children and grandchildren." What Happens Next Texas' primary election will be held on March 3, 2026. The general election will be on November 3, 2026.
The Hill
23-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Midway through year one, America is souring on Trump's agenda
Last week, President Trump signaled that he would soon make the most consequential foreign policy decision of his presidency, whether or not to order the U.S. military to strike Iran. In no uncertain terms, this decision may ultimately have greater impact than former President Biden's unilateral withdrawal from Afghanistan in summer 2021. Biden's polling numbers never recovered from the chaos that unfolded at that time. Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here With that in mind, it is important and instructive to look at what the polls say about how Americans feel about Trump's presidency thus far, both generally and on key issues such as foreign policy. Roughly six months into his second term, new polling shows that support for Trump has declined across the board and on key issues. Indeed, despite Trump's assertions that his approval ratings hit 'all-time highs,' the numbers tell a different story. Trump began his second term with 51 percent approval versus 44 percent disapproval, but now, those numbers have reversed. Just over half (52 percent) of Americans now disapprove of his job performance, compared to only 40 percent who approve — a net 19-point drop-off, according to the RealClearPolitics polling aggregator. To be sure, as chaos spreads in the Middle East and the question of American involvement hangs in the air, Trump's support on foreign policy is also critical. At the start of Trump's term, Ipsos polling showed Trump with a net plus-2 rating (39 percent to 37 percent), likely due to his promises to end wars and deliver peace through strength. Early on, he seemed to be delivering. He was instrumental in securing a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and oversaw the return of multiple Israeli hostages. According to polling from Data for Progress (Jan. 17-18), a plurality of Americans — 49 percent — credited Trump rather than Biden with the Israel-Hamas cease-fire. For context, Biden ended his presidency with a minus-18 point approval rating for his handling of the Israel-Palestine conflict, and Trump started his with a plus 12 percent approval rating on the same issue. Half a year later, Trump is practically on par with Biden on the conflict, at minus-17 — a 29-point net swing against him, according to Quinnipiac. Looking specifically at Trump's handling of Iran, 41 percent disapprove, versus 37 percent who approve, according to polling from YouGov. It is not that Americans disagree with Trump's perception of Iran as a threat. In fact, nearly three-quarters (73 percent) say they are worried about the threat Iran poses to U.S. national security, up 13 points from last year, according to polling from Fox News. But Americans' fear of the prospect of another forever war in the Middle East seems to be weighing on the mood. That same Fox poll, conducted last weekend, shows that Trump has lost the public's trust in another key issue area: the economy. Likely due to the chaos and uncertainty unleashed by Trump's tariff policy, a majority (58 percent) of voters disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy, while just 40 percent approve, a significant decline for one of Trump's former strengths. In fact, the 18-point margin of discontent is the worst spread Trump has seen in either of his terms. And it does not appear that Trump's cornerstone legislation, the 'big, beautiful bill,' will help. Six in 10 Americans (59 percent) oppose it, and 49 percent think that the bill will 'hurt' their families economically. Just as the economy went from a strength to a vulnerability, Trump's polling has also seen a reversal on immigration, a crucial issue that largely propelled Trump to victory last November. Americans are increasingly concerned about the administration's heavy-handed approach to immigration. This is not to say that Americans dislike Trump's policies generally; a majority (51 percent) approve of Trump's handling of the border, per NBC polling. And exceptionally strong support (87 percent) remains for deporting migrants who commit crimes, according to Economist-YouGov polling. Yet Americans are turned off by the administration's response to protests in Los Angeles specifically, and the belief that the administration is being too cavalier about whom it is deporting. The same poll shows that 57 percent believe the administration is making mistakes in whom it is deporting, and 74 percent say the government needs to make sure there are no mistakes in deportations. Taken together, polling six months into Trump 2.0 shows that many of his former points of pride and political strengths have lost considerable support among all but his most ardent supporters. But it would be a mistake to say the rest of Trump's presidency is doomed. Tariff uncertainty is likely to fade, either because people stop paying attention or due to signed trade deals. In that same vein, it's entirely possible that views on the economy rebound if the 'big, beautiful bill' delivers on Trump's pro-growth agenda. Moreover, tensions in the Middle East will eventually come to a head, with or without American involvement. Fears of a forever war in Iran are misguided, and it's still not at all certain that Trump will commit American forces. Finally, Trump is greatly assisted by the fact that Democrats are still unable to develop a compelling and politically viable alternative. Still reeling from their loss in November, the party continues to struggle to find its way and challenge Trump's excesses. Six months may just be too short a time period to predict the course of the next three and a half years. But it remains useful and informative to gauge the mood of the electorate at this delicate time. Whether or not Trump can reverse this downward trend remains to be seen. It will be extremely compelling to watch. Douglas E. Schoen and Carly Cooperman are pollsters and partners with the public opinion company Schoen Cooperman Research based in New York. They are co-authors of the book, 'America: Unite or Die.'
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's approval rating on immigration leads in new poll. What is his approval rating?
Immigration was a flashpoint going into the 2024 presidential election, and it remains President Donald Trump's strongest issue in a recent poll. A NBC News Decision Desk Poll released June 15, conducted along with SurveyMonkey, found that 45% of Americans approve of the way Trump is handling his job as president, while 55% disapprove. Those figures remain unchanged from an NBC News survey in April. (The survey was conducted among 19,410 adults nationwide between May 30 and June 10. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1 percentage points.) According to the survey, 51% of Americans approve of Trump's handling of border security and immigration, while 49% disapprove, the exception to his negative overall rating. Here is what to know about Trump's approval rating and how Americans have reacted to his immigration policies. More: Did Obama deport more people than Trump? What to know as Trump calls for more ICE arrests Trump has focused much of his presidency on advancing his immigration agenda, including deporting thousands of migrants to countries such as Colombia, Mexico and El Salvador. During his 2024 campaign, the sweeping deportations became his signature promise to voters. Here are some other recent polls that show Americans' views of Trump's handling of immigration: : (June 13-16, 1,512 U.S. adult citizens, margin of error plus or minus 3.3%). Overall approval rating: 41% approve, 54% disapprove; Immigration issue approval rating: 44% approve, 52% disapprove. That's a new low, according to this pollster. Morning Consult: (June 13-15, 2,207 registered voters, margin of error plus or minus two percentage points). Overall approval rating: 46% approve, 52% disapprove; Immigration approval rating: 51% approve, his best rating among the issues. with Beacon Research and Shaw & Co. Research: (June 13-16, 1,003 registered voters, margin of error plus or minus three percentage points.) Overall approval rating: 46% approve, 54% disapprove; Immigration approval rating: 46% approve, 53% disapprove. The poll also asked about border security, which received higher approval at 53% compared to 46% who disapproved. RealClearPolitics Poll Average shows the gap between Americans who approve of Trump's job and those who disapprove has been largely widening since June 7. Aggregated polls by the New York Times show a similar trend. As of Jan. 27, Trump received a +6.2 percentage point approval rating, but as of March 13, it flipped to slightly negative, the RealClearPolitics graphics shows, and widened over the following weeks until becoming the most negative on April 29 at -7.2 percentage points. His average approval rating margin as of June 20, according to RealClearPolitics, is -5 percentage points. The approval margin according to the New York Times aggregator on June 20 is -8 percentage points. A historical analysis by Gallup shows Trump's approval ratings in May in his first years in office − both as the 45th and 47th presidents − are lower than any other modern president at the same time in their administrations. Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@ Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is Trump's approval rating? Often worse than views on immigration
