Most Americans Say Country Worse Off As Result of Donald Trump

Across the United States, and probably much of the world, many eyes will be focussed on the US Senate this Tuesday as the impeachment trial of former President, Donald Trump, begins. 

It comes after the House of Representatives passed the article of impeachment against Trump for inciting sedition following the storming of Congress on 6th January by his supporters.

Having  lost a number of his legal team at the end of last month over differences in opinion about how to handle the trial, what we now know is that the current Trump team will  argue that the impeachment and trial of a now former President is unconstitutional.

With that as the background, new polling by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research gives a new glimpse into the public’s attitudes to Donald Trump’s legacy as President.

Its finds that 50% of those polled believe that Trump was a poor/terrible President, with 36% believing he was a great/good Commander in Chief. 15% believe that he was just ‘average’.

38% said that they and their families were much or somewhat better off than they were when Trump took office in 2017. 35% said there had been no difference, with 27% saying they were either somewhat or much more worse off.

Interestingly though, asked if they felt the country was better or worse off than it was when Trump became President, 52% said it was somewhat or much more worse off, with 31% saying it was better off. 15% said there had not been any difference.

Asked how much they felt Donald Trump respected the country’s democratic institutions and traditions, 37% said a great deal or a fair amount with 62% saying not too much or none at all. By way of contrast, the figures for the current President, Joe Biden, were 70% and 30% respectively.

Questioned about whether they feel the Senate should or should not convict Trump in the impeachment trial, 47% said he should be convicted with 40% believing he should not be. 12% said they did not know enough to express a view.

Overall, 50% of respondents felt that Donald Trump had a great deal or quite a bit of responsibility for the storming of the US Capitol in January. 66% meanwhile agreed that Joe Biden had been legitimately elected as US President, with 33% saying he had not been.

Meanwhile, a new ABC News/Ipsos poll provides further bad news for Donald Trump’s PR efforts, with 56% supporting his conviction in the impeachment trial. 43% opposed a conviction.

Asked how they felt Joe Biden was handling the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, 67% approved of the way he was responding to it, with 32% disapproving of it.

Interestingly, asked if they felt there were more radical extremists in the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, or if it was about the same in each, 25% said the Democratic Party, 42% said the Republicans and 32% said it was about the same in each party.

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