New polling reveals flashing red lights and "self-inflicted wounds" for President Donald Trump, with independents and even some of Trump's own supporters losing patience with the tariff chaos and tech billionaire Elon Musk's dismantling of the federal government, Aaron Blake wrote for The Washington Post.
When Trump spoke to the nation a week ago, Blake noted, he told Democrats who were protesting his speech, "Democrats sitting before me: For just this one night, why not join us in celebrating so many incredible wins for America? For the good of our nation, let’s work together, and let’s truly make America great again."
But now, he said, "it has become even clearer that the picture Trump was painting is a mirage to many Americans. And it’s not just Democrats refusing to recognize Trump’s alternate reality; it’s also the political middle and even a fair number of Trump supporters."
Blake cited a newly released CNN poll, that shows some grave news for the president.
To begin with, he wrote, Trump's approval on the economy "is worse than it’s ever been. Americans disapprove of his handling of it by 56 percent to 44 percent. CNN’s polling through Trump’s two terms had never before found a majority disapproving of Trump on the economy." But that's just the start: Americans disapprove of Trump's tariffs 61-39, with 7 in 10 independents disapproving of both him and Musk, and even 1 in 6 Trump voters say he is "too extreme."
"Trump is hardly in pariah territory; his overall approval rating is at 45 percent, similar to much of his first term," Blake added, in fairness. "But he has fallen below a majority faster than any modern new president not named Donald Trump." And given that independents and his own supporters make up so much of that disapproval, "there are warning signs that it could get worse."
