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President Donald Trump has gotten off to a good start in his second term, according to the latest Harvard Cap/Harris poll, and his unsubmissive nature gradually wins in the general public, with Democrats and former President Joe Biden's legacy being free fall.
Trump's overall employment rating is 52%, a good start in a highly biased environment, but perhaps a better indicator of the public mood can be seen in the big changes in those who believe the country is currently on the right track. Although he hasn't been positive yet, the public mood is generally far more optimistic than Biden.
In fact, 58% believe Trump is doing a better job than Biden, including nearly a quarter of Democrats.
Mexico will hand over to us dozens of cartel leaders and members, including Dr. Rafael Caro Quintero.
Trump has room to increase his ratings as many of his new policies are so popular. 81% of the population support the deportation of people here illegally who have committed crimes. 76% support government fraud and wasteful efforts.
President Donald Trump will take a photo with Richard Petty at the NASCAR Daytona 500 Auto Race at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 16, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Pool via AP)
70% believe that government budgets are filled with waste and fraud, and 69% support the goal of reducing federal budgets by $1 trillion, and support it by cutting spending rather than raising taxes.
72% support the creation of a department to eliminate waste, while 60% believe Elon Musk and Doge are making the difference.
Of course, these roses have several thorns. People don't want Doge to access sensitive data about themselves, and voters don't support the change to the “Gulf of America.” However, these issues should not obscure basic facts. Voters overwhelmingly support closing borders, cutting government spending and benefiting identity politics. These are the three main goals of the new administration.
And Democrats have collapsed to the lowest rating I've ever recorded – just 36% have a Democrat's favorable rating. So if the Midterm took place today, the Democrats would be far worse than 2024 Election Day.
Some Democrats are pushing for a more robust fighting, so Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, went out and tried it. His ratings are only sunk, with 14 points net negatives. This is because most people believe in the policy direction of the new administration and, in my view, wonder how they could have voted for a president who could not effectively govern anyone implementing unpopular policies while the world is out of control.
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The truth is, screaming with masks is not a likely strategy to succeed, as Democrats seem to support border security and reduce government fraud and waste.
A more successful strategy is to choose some issues that we actually agree that we are on the wrong track, as President Bill Clinton did when he supported balanced budgets and welfare reform. Clinton deployed this strategy to win reelection, and his work ratings skyrocketed until the mid-70s. I don't think anything similar to what I did in 1996 is happening anytime soon.
And Democrats have collapsed to the lowest rating I've ever recorded – just 36% have a Democrat's favorable rating. So if the Midterm took place today, the Democrats would be far worse than 2024 Election Day.
This means it is up to Trump to go it alone after the issue is issued, and avoid the easily exploited excess. He took some unorthodox paths here and there are questions about some of them. But it is not a close call to the American people in their choice to continue Biden's policies and whether to choose to move forward with Trump.
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We won't set these ratings on stone for a month, but it's a clear indication that the president is moving in the right direction, and now we think that far more people are on the right track than under Biden. Trump is actively working to make a full U-turn on his policy, and this time he systematically introduces a team of people dedicated to implementing his policy.
Last time, resistance effectively blunted his presidency, linking him with special advice and investigation. This time, he is making swift and decisive progress towards implementing major policy changes, mainly with the support of most Americans.
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