- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Trumped! US President Approval Rating Hits New Low... But Still Beats Clinton

© REUTERS / Navesh ChitrakarA man poses for a picture with the cardboard cutouts of US presidential nominees Hillary Clinton (L) and Donald Trump, at an election event hosted at the US ambassador's residence in Kathmandu, Nepal November 9, 2016.
A man poses for a picture with the cardboard cutouts of US presidential nominees Hillary Clinton (L) and Donald Trump, at an election event hosted at the US ambassador's residence in Kathmandu, Nepal November 9, 2016. - Sputnik International
Subscribe
His popularity has now slumped to its lowest level since Donald J. Trump first strolled into the Oval office at the White House back in January.

The number of Americans who claim they still harbor positive views towards the 45th President of the United States has continued to plummet, according to a new poll.

Little more than a third of people admitted their continued support and approval of him since his inauguration — yet another embarrassing drop from a similar study carried out in June.

Despite this latest slump, there is one small crumb of comfort, as Trump is still managing to beat his arch-rival Hillary Clinton when it comes to the vote.

The results of the poll — carried out by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal — saw just 36 percent of those quizzed voicing their backing of Trump, two points lower than the previous figure.

© REUTERS / Jonathan ErnstUS presidential nominees Hillary Clinton (top) and Donald Trump speak at campaign rallies in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, US October 28, 2016 and Delaware, Ohio October 20, 2016 in a combination of file photos.
US presidential nominees Hillary Clinton (top) and Donald Trump speak at campaign rallies in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, US October 28, 2016 and Delaware, Ohio October 20, 2016 in a combination of file photos.  - Sputnik International
US presidential nominees Hillary Clinton (top) and Donald Trump speak at campaign rallies in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, US October 28, 2016 and Delaware, Ohio October 20, 2016 in a combination of file photos.

Crucially, more than half of those taking part in this vote voiced negative feelings towards the president, some 52 percent admitting their disapproval of his performance.

What Lies Behind the Drop

It is believed there are a number of major factors behind his poor showing in this new poll, the findings of which were released on Wednesday, September 6.

Donald Trump sits with U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York, U.S., October 7, 2016 - Sputnik International
Trump Commends US Attorney General for 'Taking Action' in Fight Against Leaks
Trump's failure to control the bitter in-house feuding within his own party, a series of high-profile sackings and, more importantly, Trump's fueling of the recent racial tensions in a number of states has resulted in increasing numbers of people seriously questioning his authority and ability to provide strong leadership.

Furthermore the president has failed, so far, to push through any major legislative changes that he proposed during his presidential campaign. Any moves have either been thwarted or resulted in a swift climbdown in the face of public opposition.

Until now, the president's approval rating in the poll has remained relatively unchanged, hovering around the 40 percent mark. Similarly, the number of those who said they disapproved of Trump's job performance has also remained steady at 55 percent.

Obama, Sanders, Bush… and Clinton

Many expressed warm feelings for former President Barack Obama, about whom 51 percent said they felt positive, compared to 35 percent who retained negative views.

© AFP 2023 / JIM WATSONUS President Barack Obama(R) and First Lady Michelle Obama(L) welcome Preisdent-elect Donald Trump(2nd-R) and his wife Melania to the White House in Washington, DC January 20, 2017
US President Barack Obama(R) and First Lady Michelle Obama(L) welcome Preisdent-elect Donald Trump(2nd-R) and his wife Melania to the White House in Washington, DC January 20, 2017 - Sputnik International
US President Barack Obama(R) and First Lady Michelle Obama(L) welcome Preisdent-elect Donald Trump(2nd-R) and his wife Melania to the White House in Washington, DC January 20, 2017

Figures suggested 44 percent held positive thoughts about former Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, with former President George W. Bush maintaining 45 percent approval rating. Less than a third (33 percent) of those polled said they held negative feelings towards both men.

Although her political appearances have become increasingly less of late, Clinton still found herself out of favor with the electorate, attracting just 30 percent satisfaction rating in this latest poll.

© AFP 2023 / Brendan Smialowski Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks during a rally outside the University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning November 7, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks during a rally outside the University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning November 7, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. - Sputnik International
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks during a rally outside the University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning November 7, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In recent weeks, excerpts from her forthcoming book, entitled What Happened, have trickled out and published by CNN, including bits in which she recalls being put-off by Trump's behavior during one of their debates, criticism of former FBI Director James Comey, former Vice-President Joe Biden and her primary opponent, Senator Bernie Sanders, over the doubt they expressed about her campaign.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала