Keller: UMass poll shows public opinion of Trump policies has dropped
The opinions expressed below are Jon Keller's, not those of WBZ, CBS News or Paramount Global.
It's been a tumultuous first 86 days in office for President Donald Trump and a new national poll from UMass Amherst shows the toll they've taken on public perceptions of his administration.
What's the most memorable image of the second Trump administration? Surely a major contender is the sight of Elon Musk, Trump's designated budget-slasher, wielding a chainsaw to illustrate his mandate.
Along with the trade wars, it's the signature initiative of the Trump White House so far. But Musk's barrage of cuts have so far been a public relations disaster.
Opposition to Trump budget cuts
According to a new UMass Amherst poll, pluralities of voters strongly or somewhat oppose cuts to the foreign aid and IRS budgets. But opposition goes through the roof on the big-ticket items, 53% against defense spending cuts, 67% against slashing Medicaid, 72% opposed to cutting Social Security.
"Elon Musk has done an amazing job," says President Trump. But the polls shows Musk is a big part of the problem. Solid majorities say they do not trust him much or at all to cut carefully, serve the public interest, or avoid conflicts of interest.
As for job approval, the president's post-election honeymoon seems over, with 44% strongly disapproving of his work and a total disapproval over 50%. But that's in the same ballpark as the ratings for the two major parties, with the Democrats drawing significantly more overall disapproval.
Voters pessimistic on policies
"Our new administration has accomplished more than most administrations do in four years," brags Mr. Trump. But the only major issue poll respondents say he's handling very or somewhat well is immigration. On inflation, foreign affairs, trade and civil rights, he doesn't even top 40% approval, and that has voters in a pessimistic mood.
Nearly seven in ten say they expect grocery prices and the cost of housing to increase in the year ahead, and more than half see tax hikes coming, despite the president's promises to cut them. A plurality even see crime increasing.
Concerns of defying court orders
And speaking of justice, 65% of those polls say they're very or somewhat concerned Mr. Trump will defy a court order. And if that's an order from the Supreme Court, 58% believe the president should then be impeached, convicted and removed from office.
The pessimism about the economy reflected here is a major warning sign. While it's possible post-election optimism will return, for now it looks like the combination of the Musk debacle and the rocky trade-policy rollout have badly shaken public confidence.
