As President Trump approaches his 100th day in office on April 29, the Washington Post and ABC News interviewed a random sample of Americans across the country to assess how well he is performing, testing overall impressions as well as perceptions of Trump’s personal qualities and several actions and controversies since he took office.
No honeymoon for President Trump
Presidents typically enjoy a “honeymoon” of cross-party support during their early months in office, but the Post-ABC poll finds 42 percent of Americans approving and 53 percent disapproving of Trump’s performance, making him the first president in modern polling to have underwater ratings ahead of his first 100 days. By comparison, Barack Obama enjoyed a 69 percent approval mark at a similar point in April 2009.
0
20
40
60
80
100%
Trump
Approval
Disapproval
-11
42%
53%
Obama
Disapproval
Approval
69%
43
26%
W. Bush
31
32%
63%
Clinton
20
59%
39%
H.W. Bush
71%
22%
49
Reagan
73%
19%
54
Carter
45
18%
63%
Ford
14
47%
33%
Nixon
49
61%
12%
Johnson
73%
64
9%
Kennedy
72
5%
78%
6%
Eisenhower
63
10%
73%
0
20
40
60
80
100%
Approval
Disapproval
DONALD TRUMP
Republican
42%
-11
53%
Approval
Disapproval
Barack Obama
Democrat
69%
43
26%
George W. Bush
Republican
32%
63%
31
Bill Clinton
Democrat
39%
59%
20
George H.W. Bush
Republican
22%
71%
49
Ronald Reagan
Republican
19%
73%
54
Jimmy Carter
Democrat
63%
18%
45
Gerald Ford
Republican
33%
47%
14
Richard Nixon
Republican
12%
61%
49
Lyndon B. Johnson
Democrat
73%
9%
64
John F. Kennedy
Democrat
78%
6%
72
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Republican
10%
73%
63
100%
JOHN F.
KENNEDY
BARACK
OBAMA
DWIGHT D.
EISENHOWER
RONALD
REAGAN
LYNDON B.
JOHNSON
GEORGE
H.W. BUSH
78%
GEORGE
W. BUSH
JIMMY
CARTER
Approval
80
73%
73%
RICHARD
NIXON
73%
71%
BILL
CLINTON
DONALD
TRUMP
69%
63%
63%
61%
59%
Disapproval
GERALD
FORD
60
53%
47%
43
31
20
-11
49
54
72
64
45
14
40
63
49
Approval
42%
39%
33%
32%
26%
Disapproval
20
22%
19%
18%
12%
10%
6%
9%
0
100%
JOHN F.
KENNEDY
BARACK
OBAMA
RONALD
REAGAN
LYNDON B.
JOHNSON
DWIGHT D.
EISENHOWER
GEORGE
H.W. BUSH
78%
GEORGE
W. BUSH
JIMMY
CARTER
80
Approval
73%
RICHARD
NIXON
73%
73%
DONALD
TRUMP
BILL
CLINTON
71%
69%
63%
63%
61%
GERALD
FORD
Disapproval
59%
60
53%
47%
43
31
20
-11
49
54
72
64
45
14
40
63
49
Approval
42%
39%
32%
33%
26%
20
22%
Disapproval
19%
18%
12%
10%
9%
6%
0
The sources for Trump’s struggles become clearer after breaking down the results by how respondents voted (or whether they voted) in November. A near-unanimous 94 percent of people who voted for Trump approve of his performance today, while 92 percent of those who supported Democrat Hillary Clinton disapprove. Trump faces 2-to-1 disapproval (62 to 29 percent) among people who voted for third-party candidates or didn’t cast ballots.
[Nearing 100 days, Trump’s approval at record lows but his base is holding]
Trump’s weak standing among those who didn’t vote for him represents an acceleration of a long-term decline in goodwill toward presidents during their early months. Democrat John F. Kennedy enjoyed 63 percent approval among Republicans when he approached the 100-day mark in a April 1961 Gallup poll, and 59 percent of Democrats approved of George H.W. Bush in an April 1989 Post-ABC poll. A mere 36 percent of Republicans approved of Obama at this point eight years ago, but Democrats are even harsher toward Trump, with 13 percent approving today.
Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president?
All adults
Approve
42%
No opinion
5%
Disapprove
Clinton
voters
53%
Trump
voters
1%
7%
94%
92%
3%
9%
2%
29%
62%
Other/Nonvoter
All adults
Trump
voters
Other/
Nonvoter
Clinton
voters
1%
Approve
42%
7%
9%
29%
94%
No opinion
92%
5%
62%
Disapprove
3%
53%
2%
All adults
Trump voters
Other/Nonvoter
Clinton voters
Approve
1%
42%
29%
7%
9%
No opinion
94%
5%
92%
62%
Disapprove
53%
3%
2%
Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
Negative views of Trump are higher still — and deeply divided by 2016 preferences — on two questions about empathy, with 61 percent of respondents overall saying he doesn’t understand problems of people like them and 58 percent saying he is “out of touch” with most people’s concerns. On the latter question, Trump fares better than both the Democratic and Republican parties as a whole, with fewer than one-third of respondents saying each is “in touch” with most people’s concerns.
Do you think Trump is in touch with the concerns of most people in the United States?
No opinion
4%
In touch
38%
Out of
touch
58%
In
touch
Out of
touch
No
opinion
Trump voters
Clinton voters
Other/Nonvoter
86%
8
26
10%
90
69
4%
2
5
Do you think Trump understands
the problems of people like you?
No opinion
2%
Yes
37%
No
61%
No
opinion
Yes
No
Trump voters
Clinton voters
Other/Nonvoter
88%
6
24
9%
93
75
3%
2
1
Do you think Trump is in touch with the concerns of most people in the United States?
Do you think Trump understands
the problems of people like you?
No opinion
No opinion
2%
4%
In touch
38%
Yes
37%
Out of
touch
58%
No
61%
In touch
Out of touch
No opinion
Yes
No
No opinion
Trump voters
Clinton voters
Other/Nonvoter
86%
10%
4%
88%
9%
3%
8%
90%
2%
6%
93%
2%
26%
69%
5%
24%
75%
1%
No opinion
No opinion
2%
4%
In touch
38%
Yes
37%
Do you think Trump
understands
the problems of people like you?
Do you think Trump is in touch with the concerns of most people in the United States?
Out of
touch
58%
No
61%
In touch
Out of touch
No opinion
Yes
No
No opinion
Trump voters
Clinton voters
Other/Nonvoter
Trump voters
Clinton voters
Other/Nonvoter
86%
10%
4%
88%
9%
3%
8%
90%
2%
6%
93%
2%
26%
69%
5%
24%
75%
1%
Is Trump delivering on campaign promises?
Americans offer mixed views on whether Trump is delivering on campaign pledges. Some 44 percent say Trump is keeping most of his campaign promises, while 41 percent say he is not. The public splits on whether he is performing better or worse than expected, with Trump and Clinton voters dividing sharply in predictable ways.
Would you say Trump has accomplished a great deal during that time?
16%
27%
21%
35%
A great
deal
A good
amount
Not very
much
Little or
nothing
42%
56%
Trump voters
36%
53%
7%
Other/Nonvoter
10%
23%
24%
41%
Clinton voters
7%
29%
58%
Among those saying Trump accomplished not very much/little or nothing. Who’s mainly responsible for that?
26%
Republicans
in Congress
47%
Donald Trump
21%
Other/
No opinion
7%
Democrats
in Congress
Trump voters
16%
21%
40%
23%
The sample is too small for Trump voters
because they were less likely to be asked
the question.
Other/Nonvoter
45%
24%
7%
23%
Clinton voters
51%
28%
18%
Would you say Trump is doing a better job as president than you expected?
35%
26%
35%
Better than
expected
About
what was
expected
Worse than
expected
Trump voters
62%
29%
Other/Nonvoter
30%
23%
42%
Clinton voters
15%
27%
57%
Is Trump keeping most of his major campaign promises?
44%
8%
41%
Yes
Some, not
others
No
Trump voters
84%
8%
Other/Nonvoter
35%
9%
46%
10%
Clinton voters
17%
6%
70%
Would you say Trump has accomplished
a great deal during that time?
16%
27%
21%
35%
A great
deal
A good
amount
Not very
much
Little or
nothing
42%
56%
Trump voters
36%
53%
7%
Other/Nonvoter
10%
23%
24%
41%
Clinton voters
7%
29%
58%
Among those saying Trump accomplished not very much/little or nothing. Who’s mainly responsible for that?
47%
26%
7%
21%
Donald Trump
Republicans
in Congress
Democrats
in Congress
Other/
No opinion
Trump voters
16%
21%
40%
23%
The sample is too small for Trump voters because they were less likely to be asked the question.
Other/Nonvoter
45%
24%
7%
23%
Clinton voters
51%
28%
18%
Is Trump keeping most of his major campaign promises?
Would you say Trump is doing a better job as president than you expected?
35%
26%
35%
44%
8%
41%
Yes
Some, not
others
No
Better than
expected
About
what was
expected
Worse than
expected
Trump voters
Trump voters
84%
8%
62%
29%
Other/Nonvoter
Other/Nonvoter
35%
9%
30%
23%
46%
10%
42%
Clinton voters
Clinton voters
17%
6%
70%
15%
27%
57%
Would you say Trump is doing a better job as president than you expected?
Would you say Trump has accomplished
a great deal during that time?
35%
26%
35%
16%
27%
21%
35%
Better than
expected
About
what was
expected
Worse than
expected
A great
deal
A good
amount
Not very
much
Little or
nothing
42%
56%
Trump voters
Trump voters
62%
29%
36%
53%
7%
Other/Nonvoter
Other/Nonvoter
30%
23%
42%
10%
23%
24%
41%
Clinton voters
Clinton voters
15%
27%
57%
7%
29%
58%
Among those saying Trump accomplished not very much/little or nothing. Who’s mainly responsible for that?
Is Trump keeping most of his major campaign promises?
44%
8%
41%
47%
Yes
Some, not
others
No
26%
7%
21%
Donald Trump
Republicans
in Congress
Democrats
in Congress
Other/
No opinion
Trump voters
Trump voters
16%
21%
40%
23%
84%
8%
The sample is too small for Trump voters because they were less likely to be asked the question.
Other/Nonvoter
Other/Nonvoter
35%
9%
46%
10%
45%
24%
7%
23%
Clinton voters
Clinton voters
17%
6%
70%
51%
28%
18%
Would you say Trump has accomplished
a great deal during that time?
Is Trump keeping most of his major campaign promises?
Would you say Trump is doing a better job as president than you expected?
A great deal/
A good amount
About
what was
expected
A good
amount
42%
No opinion
27%
Yes
7%
44%
26%
Better than
expected
Not very
much
Some, not
others
A great
deal
No opinion
35%
21%
8%
16%
5%
Worse than
expected
Little or
nothing
No
41%
35%
35%
Not very much/
Little or nothing
56%
Trump voters
Trump voters
Trump voters
62%
29%
36%
53%
7%
84%
8%
Other/Nonvoter
Other/Nonvoter
Other/Nonvoter
30%
23%
35%
9%
42%
10%
23%
24%
41%
46%
10%
Clinton voters
Clinton voters
Clinton voters
15%
27%
57%
7%
29%
58%
17%
6%
70%
Among those saying Trump accomplished not very much/little or nothing. Who’s mainly responsible for that?
47%
26%
7%
21%
Donald
Trump
Republicans
in Congress
Democrats
in Congress
Other/
No opinion
Trump voters
16%
21%
40%
23%
Other/Nonvoter
45%
24%
7%
23%
Clinton voters
51%
28%
18%
The sample is too small for Trump voters because they were less likely to be asked the question.
When asked how much he has accomplished, a 56 percent majority say he has not accomplished very much or has accomplished little or nothing. Among those who say Trump has not accomplished much — a group that leans Democratic — nearly half say Trump is responsible for the lack of progress, while about a quarter blame Republicans and 7 percent blame Democrats.
In establishing his administration's policies, do you think Trump follows a set of consistent principles?
Follows
consistent
principles
Does not follow
consistent principles
55%
40%
7%
48%
Does not
(but it’s not
a problem)
Does not
(and it is
a problem)
Trump voters
15%
79%
10%
Other/Nonvoter
64%
28%
7%
7%
57%
Clinton voters
79%
16%
76%
Does not
(but it’s not
a problem)
7%
No op.
Follows
consistent
principles
6%
Does not
follow consistent
principles
40%
Does not
(and it is
a problem)
55%
48%
Does not
follow consistent
principles
15%
Trump voters
Follows consistent principles
79%
5%
10%
5%
No opinion
Other/Nonvoter
64%
28%
7%
7%
57%
Clinton voters
79%
16%
4%
76%
Does not
(but it’s not
a problem)
Does not
follow consistent
principles
Follows
consistent
principles
Trump voters
7%
15%
79%
5%
10%
5%
No opinion
No op.
Follows
consistent
principles
Other/Nonvoter
64%
6%
28%
7%
7%
57%
40%
Does not
(and it is
a problem)
Clinton voters
79%
16%
4%
76%
48%
Does not
follow consistent
principles
55%
Trump has changed his position on several issues since entering office, and the public appears to have noticed. A 55 percent majority says Trump does not follow consistent principles, including 48 percent who say this is a problem, while 40 percent say Trump’s principles are consistent. Almost 8 in 10 Trump voters say he’s been consistent, while the same share of Clinton voters say he has not. The rest of the public is closer to Democrats on this question.
Do you approve or disapprove of Trump pressuring companies to keep jobs in the U.S.?
Approve
Disapprove
73%
5%
22%
No opinion
Trump voters
99%
Other/Nonvoter
70%
6%
24%
Clinton voters
52%
7%
41%
Approve
73%
No opinion
5%
Disapprove
22%
Trump voters
Approve
99%
Other/Nonvoter
No opinion
Disapprove
70%
6%
24%
Clinton voters
52%
7%
41%
Trump voters
Approve
99%
Approve
73%
Other/Nonvoter
No opinion
Disapprove
No opinion
70%
6%
24%
5%
Clinton voters
Disapprove
52%
7%
41%
22%
Trump's personality
Across five personal attributes, Trump fares best on strength, with 53 percent saying he is a strong leader, including a relatively high 25 percent of Democrats. Over half the public tilts negatively on other attributes, with a slight majority saying Trump cannot be trusted in a crisis and larger percentages doubting his judgment, temperament and honesty.
Do you think Trump...
...has the kind of judgment it takes to serve effectively as
president?
No
56%
Yes
41%
No opinion
3%
Yes
No
No op.
Trump voters
93%
4
2
Other/Nonvoter
29
67
5
Clinton voters
5
93
2
...has the personality and temperament it takes to serve effectively as president?
No
59%
Yes
38%
No opinion
3%
Yes
No
No op.
87
9
4
Trump voters
25
71
3
Other/Nonvoter
6
93
1
Clinton voters
...is a strong leader?
No
45%
Yes
53%
No opinion
2%
Yes
No
No op.
Trump voters
97
2
<1
Other/Nonvoter
48
49
3
Clinton voters
17
81
3
...is honest and
trustworthy?
No
58%
Yes
38%
No opinion
4%
Yes
No
No op.
Trump voters
89
8
4
Other/Nonvoter
26
69
5
Clinton voters
6
91
3
...can be trusted in a crisis?
No
52%
Yes
43%
No opinion
4%
Yes
No
No op.
Trump voters
94
4
2
Other/Nonvoter
32
62
6
Clinton voters
9
87
4
Do you think Trump...
...has the kind of judgment it takes to serve effectively as president?
Yes
No
No op.
Trump voters
93%
4
2
No
56%
Other/Nonvoter
29
67
5
Yes
41%
Clinton voters
5
93
2
No opinion
3%
...has the personality and temperament it takes to serve effectively as president?
Yes
No
No op.
87
9
4
Trump voters
No
59%
Yes
38%
25
71
3
Other/Nonvoter
6
93
1
Clinton voters
No opinion
3%
...is a strong leader?
Yes
No
No op.
97
2
<1
Trump voters
No
45%
...is a strong leader?
48
49
3
Other/Nonvoter
Yes
53%
17
81
3
Clinton voters
No opinion
2%
...is honest and
trustworthy?
Yes
No
No op.
89
8
4
Trump voters
No
58%
26
69
5
Other/Nonvoter
Yes
38%
6
91
3
Clinton voters
No opinion
4%
...can be trusted in a crisis?
Yes
No
No op.
Trump voters
94
4
2
No
52%
Other/Nonvoter
32
62
6
Yes
43%
Clinton voters
9
87
4
No opinion
4%
Do you think Trump...
...has the kind of judgment it takes to serve effectively as president?
...has the personality and temperament it takes to serve
effectively as president?
...is honest
and trustworthy?
...can be trusted
in a crisis?
...is a strong
leader?
No
58%
No
52%
No
45%
No
56%
No
59%
Yes
38%
Yes
43%
Yes
41%
Yes
38%
Yes
53%
No opinion
2%
No opinion
4%
No opinion
3%
No opinion
3%
No opinion
4%
Yes
No
No op.
Yes
No
No op.
Yes
No
No op.
Yes
No
No op.
Yes
No
No op.
93%
4
2
87
9
4
97
2
<1
89
8
4
94
4
2
Trump voters
29
67
5
25
71
3
48
49
3
26
69
5
32
62
6
Other/Nonvoter
5
93
2
6
93
1
17
81
3
6
91
3
9
87
4
Clinton voters
Do you think Trump...
...has the kind of judgment it takes to serve effectively as president?
...has the personality and temperament it takes to serve effectively as president?
...is honest and
trustworthy?
...can be trusted
in a crisis?
...is a strong
leader?
No
45%
No
56%
No
58%
No
52%
No
59%
Yes
53%
Yes
41%
Yes
38%
Yes
38%
Yes
43%
No opinion
2%
No opinion
3%
No opinion
3%
No opinion
4%
No opinion
4%
Yes
No
No op.
Yes
No
No op.
Yes
No
No op.
Yes
No
No op.
Yes
No
No op.
Trump voters
93%
4
2
87
9
4
97
2
<1
89
8
4
94
4
2
Other/Nonvoter
29
67
5
25
71
3
48
49
3
26
69
5
32
62
6
Clinton voters
5
93
2
6
93
1
17
81
3
6
91
3
9
87
4
Methodology
The Post-ABC poll was conducted April 17-20 among a random national sample of 1,004 adults interviewed on cellular and landline phones. Overall results have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
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