President Donald Trump’s “Inaugural Year Approval Poll” is being blasted by critics who charge it has built in safeguards that make it virtually impossible for voters to express any dissatisfaction they may have with Trump’s job performance.
Set up by the joint fundraising committee of Trump’s reelection campaign and Republican National Committee, the survey offers respondents no opportunity to give a negative review of Trump’s first 12-months in office.
More specifically, to the question of “how would you rate President Trump’s first year in office,” the question only offers the options of “great,” “good,” “okay,” and “other.”
By comparison, visitors to the page are also asked the same question about Trump predecessor and former president Barack Obama, with the answer options in that instance readily offering the choice of “poor” as an additional response option.
Based on recent polling numbers, Trump supporters might have good reason to perhaps seek to fudge the numbers as much as they’re able to in the name of trying to make sure the president doesn’t look bad in a poll created by those who remain as some of his biggest backers.
A recent Associated Press-NORC poll found that Trump is the most unpopular first-year president ever, garnering just 32 percent approval for his job performance.
With a disapproval rating of 67 percent, more than half of Trump’s critics added they “strongly disapprove” of his job performance in the White House.
In addition, seven in 10 respondents, or 70 percent of voters, said they believe the country is “headed in the wrong direction.”
Much of Trump’s first-year in office has been dogged by strife, much of it revolving around allegations his 2016 campaign election team may have worked with Russian leading up to his 2016 win over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
Special Counselor Robert Mueller’s investigation is continuing and has intensified in recent weeks with four former Trump campaign officials being criminally charged, including national security adviser Michael Flynn and campaign manager Paul Manafort.
Thus far, Flynn has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, and is now cooperating with Mueller is his ongoing probe.
