Yes
The new Quinnipiac Poll says that voters really hate the Democratic Party and think they’re worse than the Republicans on the economy and immigration but better on protecting democracy and health care. It’s hard to believe they’ve won all those races in the off-year elections. However, they really don’t like Trump and I suspect that’s the motivating force. They want to create some kind of block on his agenda which is extremely unpopular.
Here are some highlights:
POWER OF THE PRESIDENCY
When it comes to using the power of the presidency, 54 percent of voters think Donald Trump is going too far, 37 percent think he is handling it about right, and 7 percent think Trump isn’t going far enough in using the power of the presidency.
“Is the often described ‘most powerful person in the world’ wielding too much power? More than half of Americans believe President Trump has crossed that line,”added Malloy.
TRUMP JOB APPROVALS
Forty percent of voters approve of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president, while 54 percent disapprove, unchanged from Quinnipiac University’s October 22 poll.
Voters were asked about Trump’s handling of eight issues:
- the military: 46 percent approve, while 51 percent disapprove;
- immigration issues: 44 percent approve, while 54 percent disapprove;
- deportations: 42 percent approve, while 55 percent disapprove;
- foreign policy: 41 percent approve, while 54 percent disapprove;
- trade: 40 percent approve, while 55 percent disapprove;
- the economy: 40 percent approve, while 57 percent disapprove;
- the Russia – Ukraine war: 35 percent approve, while 55 percent disapprove;
- health care: 34 percent approve, while 59 percent disapprove.
THE ECONOMY
Thirty-four percent of voters describe the state of the nation’s economy these days as either excellent (3 percent) or good (31 percent), while 65 percent describe it as either not so good (35 percent) or poor (30 percent), which is similar to Quinnipiac University’s September 24 poll.
Nearly half of voters (48 percent) think the nation’s economy is getting worse, 30 percent think it’s getting better, and 21 percent think it’s staying about the same.
BIDEN VS. TRUMP: THE ECONOMY
Asked who they think is more responsible for the current state of the economy: Joe Biden or Donald Trump, 57 percent of voters say Trump, 34 percent say Biden and 10 percent did not offer an opinion.
IMMIGRATION
A majority of voters (55 percent) think the Trump administration is being too harsh in its treatment of undocumented immigrants in the United States, 36 percent think the Trump administration is handling this about right, and 6 percent think the Trump administration is being too lenient in its treatment of undocumented immigrants in the United States.
Fifty-seven percent of voters say they would prefer giving most undocumented immigrants in the United States a pathway to legal status, while 35 percent say they would prefer deporting most undocumented immigrants in the United States.
BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP
Seven out of 10 voters (70 percent) think the Supreme Court should keep the 1898 ruling in place that under the U.S. Constitution anyone born in the United States is a U.S. citizen, regardless of their parents’ citizenship, while 24 percent think the Supreme Court should reverse the ruling.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS
Job approval ratings for four Trump administration officials:
- Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: 39 percent approve, 53 percent disapprove, with 8 percent not offering an opinion;
- Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth: 38 percent approve, 49 percent disapprove, with 14 percent not offering an opinion;
- Director of the FBI Kash Patel: 35 percent approve, 51 percent disapprove, with 14 percent not offering an opinion;
- United States Attorney General Pam Bondi: 31 percent approve, 51 percent disapprove, with 18 percent not offering an opinion.
Forty percent of voters are either very confident (17 percent) or somewhat confident (23 percent) in vaccine information cited by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., while 57 percent are either not so confident (10 percent) or not confident at all (47 percent).
Forty-five percent of voters are either very confident (25 percent) or somewhat confident (20 percent) in Pete Hegseth’s leadership of the U.S. military, while 47 percent are either not so confident (7 percent) or not confident at all (40 percent).
EPSTEIN FILES
Twenty-six percent of voters approve of the way the Trump administration is handling the Jeffrey Epstein files, while 65 percent disapprove and 9 percent did not offer an opinion.
SUSPECTED DRUG BOATS & VENEZUELA
Voters 53 – 42 percent oppose U.S. military attacks to kill suspected drug smugglers on boats in international waters.
Voters 63 – 25 percent oppose U.S. military action inside Venezuela.
RUSSIA – UKRAINE
When asked about the war between Russia and Ukraine, 48 percent of voters think Donald Trump is favoring Russia too much, 36 percent think he is striking about the right balance, and 3 percent think Trump is favoring Ukraine too much. Thirteen percent did not offer an opinion.
There are some more confusing stats showing that around 50-55% of people feel that the they are personally not having problems affording the cost of living which suggests that the same dynamic that was present in the Biden years is still at work: many Americans are doing ok themselves but perceive that other people are not. Trump took full advantage of that during the campaign. Now he has to deal with it himself.
This poll does not give anyone much hope about the Democratic Party since everyone, including Democrats, apparently hate their elected officials. But I suspect that’s reflexive at this point — they have looked weak in the face of the GOP onslaught and, let’s face it, Americans don’t like losers. I don’t think that means they won’t vote for them next November.
Negative partisanship is a powerful thing and people really hate Trump and they see the GOP as the party of Trump enablers, which is correct. The off-year elections show that while they may hate “the Democrats” write large, they are fine with the Democrat they are being asked to vote for — from Mamdani to Spanberger. I’m not worried about that.
Happy Hollandaise everyone!