The President, the Press, the Polls, and the Public

Explaining the grand disparity.

If one were to take press pronouncements about President Donald Trump at face value, it would be difficult not to believe the Ragin’ Cajun’s assessment claiming his administration is on the verge of collapse. And yet, despite the often-eloquent rhetoric regarding “Trump’s final act,” the American people might not have the same fatalistic view. And the polls prove it.

Playing Possum

Writing in The New York Times, famed Democratic Party strategist James Carville urged his fellow leftists to “retreat” and let the 47th president dig his own political grave. He exclaimed:

“Allow the Republicans to crumble beneath their own weight, and make the American people miss us. Only until the Trump administration has spiraled into the low 40s or high 30s in public approval polling percentages should we make like a pack of hyenas and go for the jugular. Until then, I’m calling for a strategic political retreat.”

One might assume that the recent Oval Office debacle with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was the catalyst for this prophesized buckling. Some may believe that engaging in a high-stakes tariff war with North American neighbors might be a suitable straw for the laden camel’s back. And Carville could have it right. But that’s not what the American public thinks.

Polls Predict, Pundits Punt

Consider the CBSNews/YouGov poll that ran alongside Trump’s address to Congress on March 4. The left-leaning news media swung verbal axes to label his 100-minute speech as pointless and divisive. Indeed, Democratic lawmakers were applauded for either not attending or walking out mid-show. Those not in the media, however, had a very different take.

According to CBS, 76% of viewers approved of the whole show. And just in case the truculent priests and priestesses of the legacy press presume the audience merely enjoyed the pageantry, digging deeper into individual issues shows the president is making all the right noises for the voting public. Do the following data from CBS suggest Trump’s administration is on the verge of failure?

• Waste in Government Spending: 77% approval
• Immigration & the Border: 77% approval
• Ukraine & Russia: 73% approval
• Tariffs: 65% approval

Those watching described (by 74% each) the speech as “presidential” and “entertaining.” One poll does not make a trend, some in the media might suggest. And that is undoubtedly true. However, support for Trump’s policies goes far beyond a single survey.

A Polling Tsunami

Let’s examine Trump’s most controversial policy to date: the mass deportation of migrant criminals. America has heard story after story on the cruelty of deporting someone’s “Abuela” and the “innocent” illegal migrants getting caught in Border Czar Tom Homan’s net. One might assume that this full-court press of tearjerker coverage might soften a few hearts – not according to a January survey courtesy of Ipsos.

Two-thirds (66%) of Americans supported the mass deportation of those illegally in the country, according to the poll. Notably, this did not specify only those who have committed other crimes besides illegal entry – this is just anyone who does not have a legal right to be in the country. Naturally, this was not the headline the news media ran with.

Instead, readers were given a somewhat skewed perspective. The poll found that just a third of respondents supported using active-duty military to round up illegal migrants. And only a third supported rounding up migrants quickly and separating them from their families. It’s a fascinating use of language – one wonders how many other options were presented. Still, 66% is a clear majority.

A similar poll was conducted in January by The Associated Press/NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Here, the numbers were lower: 43% supported removing all illegal migrants and 37% opposed it. Perhaps when the respondents were asked follow-up heart-string questions – such as whether they supported “arresting people who are in the country illegally while they are at church” – the figures changed. One number, however, was as clear as day.

“Deporting all immigrants living in the United States illegally who have been convicted of a violent crime” earned 82% support against just 6% who opposed it. Digging deeper, almost two-thirds (62%) said they would support deporting all “legal” migrants in the country if they had been convicted of a violent crime.

Does this sound like a populace that has a problem with Trump deporting violent illegal aliens?

Ukraine Support?

Another CBS News poll, released on March 2 (some of the interviews were conducted before the Feb. 28 Oval Office meeting), found that a majority (51%) supported Trump’s approach to the war in Ukraine. Again, 51% favored sending arms to the belabored nation – with 72% of Democrats endorsing this position.

Of note is that only 52% support Ukraine in this conflict. That is not to say that the remaining 48% support Russia – only 4% do – but rather that a large chunk of Americans did not consider it an American problem.

Trump’s effort to make peace by driving straight down the middle appears entirely in line with public sentiment. Contrast that with the almost total devotion to the Ukrainian cause professed by the media.

In fact, if one were to choose who is most aligned with American values – Donald Trump or the mainstream legacy media – it would be hard to find a poll that favored the Fourth Estate’s position. Perhaps we can put the Ragin’ Cajun in that camp, too.