President Trump has to be pleased with his approval ratings in the just-released ABC News/Washington Post poll, conducted June 28 to July 1. His 44 percent rating is up 5 points from their last survey in April. We haven’t seen a rise in other polling yet so it’s impossible to say whether it is the beginning of a trend or just statistical noise. …
Pay particular attention to the role of the economy in Trump’s approval ratings. In that ABC/Post poll, 51 percent of adults approved of his handling of the economy, while only 42 percent disapproved—nearly a reverse image of his overall approval. Then again, given how well the economy has performed during his 29 months in office, it’s telling that his overall approval ratings are largely not driven by his economic stewardship.
According to the old adage, “Americans vote their pocketbooks.” But perhaps the relationship between a strong economy and presidential approval isn’t what it used to be. CONT.
Charlie Cook