Americans don’t want a dictator: why Trump’s rating is falling
22 April 10:07
Donald Trump’s public approval rating for his performance as President of the United States has fallen to its lowest level since he returned to the White House, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. The six-day survey, with a margin of error of 2%, was completed on April 21. The data indicate that Americans are increasingly concerned about his attempts to expand his power, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
About 42% of respondents to the six-day poll, which was completed on April 21, approved of Trump’s performance as president with a margin of error of 2%. This is down 1% from the previous poll conducted three weeks ago, and down 5% from the figures immediately after his inauguration on January 20, when the rating was 47%.
Trump is trying to become a dictator
The beginning of Trump’s presidential term shocked his political opponents as he signed dozens of executive orders expanding his influence over both government departments and private institutions, including universities and law firms.
Reuters emphasizes that many Americans are uncomfortable with his moves to punish universities he deems too liberal and his appointment as chairman of the board of directors of the Kennedy Center, an important theater and cultural institution in Washington.
About 83% of the 4,306 respondents said that the US president should obey the decisions of federal courts, even if he disagrees with them. Representatives of the Trump administration may face criminal contempt of court charges for violating a federal judge’s order to halt the deportation of alleged members of a Venezuelan gang who had no opportunity to appeal their removal.
57% of respondents – including one-third of Republicans – disagreed with the statement that “the president of the United States has the right to cut off funding to universities if he does not agree with how the university is operating.”
Trump, who claims that universities do not combat anti-Semitism on campuses, has frozen significant amounts of federal funds allocated to American universities, including more than $2 billion for Harvard University alone.
A similar proportion of respondents – 66% – said they did not believe the president should control leading cultural institutions such as national museums and theaters. Last month, Trump ordered the Smithsonian Institution, a vast museum and research complex that is the premier exhibition space for U.S. history and culture, to remove “unacceptable” ideology.
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Total rejection
On every issue asked, from inflation and immigration to taxation and the rule of law, there are more people who disapprove of Trump’s performance. On immigration, which is his strongest area of support, 45% of respondents approved of Trump’s job performance, while 46% disapproved.
Some 59% of respondents – including one-third of Republicans – said America is losing credibility on the world stage.
Three-quarters of respondents said Trump should not run for a third term. Trump recently announced this idea, although the US Constitution prohibits him from doing so. A majority of Republican respondents – 53% – said Trump should not seek a third term.
What Trump has done in his three months as president
In the first three months of his second presidential term, Donald Trump began aggressively implementing his agenda, signing a record number of executive orders – 26 on the first day alone. He rescinded 79 Biden-era executive orders and memoranda, created the interim Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under Elon Musk to fight bureaucracy and excessive spending, and introduced an “America First” foreign policy. The Trump administration has also launched a major overhaul of environmental, social, and anti-corruption regulations, considering them “obstacles to business development.”
In foreign policy, Trump returned the United States to a series of controversial decisions: he withdrew the country from the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization, restored Cuba’s status as a state sponsor of terrorism, and lifted restrictions on Israeli settlements in the West Bank. He also declared a state of emergency on the southern border with Mexico to speed up the construction of the wall and tighten immigration controls. Trump’s rhetoric has intensified – he explicitly declares his intention to “restore America’s strength” through tough confrontation with his adversaries.
Trump focused special attention on economic policy and global trade. He initiated a new phase of trade wars, in particular against China, Mexico, and the European Union. The most severe measures affected China: the average level of tariffs on Chinese goods was raised to a record 145%, the highest in the last century. The duties were imposed on goods of strategic importance, such as electronics, automotive components, and steel. In response, China introduced mirror measures – tariffs of up to 125% on American products and restrictions on the export of rare earth metals. In addition, the Trump administration has openly threatened to withdraw from the WTO if it does not revise the rules, which, according to the president, “play against the interests of the United States.”
This policy is causing concern among analysts due to the risks of a recession, rising prices for imported goods, and possible deterioration of international relations.
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