Donald Trump’s Approval Rating Is Higher Than Obama’s At This Point In His First Term, Says New Poll
Donald Trump has a higher approval rating than Barack Obama did at this point in his presidency, according to a new Rasmussen Poll.
As The Express reports, Donald Trump now has an approval rating of 50 percent, which is higher than the number enjoyed by Barack Obama at this stage of his presidency.
Specifically, 35 percent of poll respondents3 indicated that they strongly approve of the Trump’s performance, while 41 percent strongly disprove. By comparison, on August 2 in his second year of his administration (that is, 2010), Obama was polling at 45 percent, also according to a Rasmussen poll.
Meanwhile, the poll shows strong support among Trump’s Republican base. 64 percent of likely Republican voters say that their own views align closest to those of the president.
Writing in The Washington Times, which admittedly has a conservative bias, columnist Cheryl K. Chumley opines that the poll numbers spell doom for Democrats – especially those hoping that a “Blue Wave” in 2020 would return power in both chambers of Congress to Democrats.
“Apparently, campaigning for dollars on a platform of ‘Impeach Trump!’ isn’t proving a winner. Neither is the equally shrill ‘Resistance’ movement once oh-so-smugly encouraged by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. What’s that in your pocket — a couple of socialists? Hmm, millennials may applaud. But then again, they may not bother to vote. Looks like the left is in for another wild election ride.”
Trump himself, for his part, tweeted a big “Thank You” to his supporters.
Working hard, thank you! pic.twitter.com/pNXbFNcf8z
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2018
Trump and his supporters may want to dial back on the enthusiasm just a bit, however, as the Rasmussen Poll isn’t the final word on the matter of Trump’s approval rating.
For one thing, as The Express points out, the company’s polling method is not in line with other polling organizations. Rasmussen, for example, simply asked respondents to push buttons on their phone to answer questions, while other polling organizations ask respondents to give a verbal answer.
Similarly, according to Five Thirty Eight, Rasmussen is admittedly conservative and has been accused of structuring their polls to achieve biased results.
“There are a lot of different ways in which a polling firm might be biased. Rasmussen is most frequently accused of bias because their results are thought to lean toward Republican candidates.”
Other polling organizations report much less impressive numbers for Trump. For example, the Pew Research Center reported this week that Trump’s current approval rating is closer to 40 percent, as it has been for much of his presidency, if not lower.
