Americans think they’re getting just what they voted for with President Trump.
An overwhelming majority of Americans — 70% — believe Trump is doing exactly what he campaigned on and most of them have a favorable impression of him so far, according to a new poll.
Only 30% of respondents felt that Trump’s actions have deviated from his campaign promises and overall, the president has notched a 53% approval rating, per a CBS News/YouGov poll.
The high marks extended to much of Trump’s major decisions as well, with 59% approving of his deportation efforts, compared to 41% disapproving. Some 64% backed his decision to dispatch troops to the US-Mexico border relative to 36% who disapproved.
With respect to the Israel-Hamas war, 54% approved of Trump’s approach, compared to 46% who disapprove.
Democrats have accused Trump of straying from his campaign promises by giving Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) boss Elon Musk vast power to cut bureaucracy as well as fixating on territory acquisition abroad.
While the party has been struggling to find its footing on messaging, many Dem operatives believe that attacks against Musk have been gaining traction, hence the heightened rhetoric against him.
But the CBS/YouGov poll found that most Americans want Musk to have an influence on government operations and spending, with 23% wanting his clout to be “a lot” and 28% saying “some.”
By contrast, 18% wanted Musk’s influence on those aspects to be “not much” and 31% said “none.”
Trump’s governing style is a stark departure from most recent presidents, due to his shoot-from-the-hip style that is unburdened by a divided legislature or staffers who push back on his decisions.
The 47th president has maintained a far more active presence in the public limelight compared to his predecessor, former President Joe Biden.
Trump has frequently fielded questions from reporters aboard Air Force One and inside the Oval Office.
Americans appear to be feeling the contrast. When asked to describe Trump, 69% said tough, 63% selected energetic, 60% called him focused and 58% characterized him as effective.
It wasn’t all rosy for Trump though.
When asked about plans for large deportation facilities, 52% of respondents indicated they were opposed, while 48% favored it.
A sizeable 66% believe that Trump isn’t focused enough on lowering the cost of living for everyday Americans. Only 13% felt that his recent plan to take over the Gaza Strip was a good idea, relative to 47% who called it a bad idea.
Ultimately, presidents usually enjoy something of a honeymoon phase during their early days in the White House. Biden’s approval was favorable until the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.
It never recovered after that.
The CBS News/YouGov poll sampled 2,175 adults between Feb. 5–7 with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
