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.

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.

Source: Washington Post-ABC News polls (Reagan-Trump), Gallup polls (Eisenhower-Carter) | See full results and methodology at wapo.st/pollarchive

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