Trump's promises more popular than Trump himself: Ipsos-NYT survey

Days before US President-elect Donald Trump takes over the White House for the second time, a poll found that Americans support his policies more than the man himself. The data to support the argument was shared by the The New York Times/Ipsos poll. The survey found that 87 per cent of respondents support deporting illegal immigrants in the US who have a criminal record.

Trump has promised to the launch largest mass deportation program in American history once he returns to the White House. Meanwhile, 55 per cent, said they support deporting all immigrants who are in the country illegally while 42 opposed the policy.

When it comes to ending birthright citizenship for kids born to immigrants in the country illegally, 41 per cent said that they backed the deal while 55 per cent voted against it. Around 4 in 10 people agreed with Trump’s assertion that immigrants are a “burden” to the country. According to The New York Times, the poll surveyed 2,128 adults from January 2 to 10.

But Trump’s own image is not loved

The survey revealed that Americans view him more negatively than any other president about to take office in the last 70 years. NYT stated that people are more supportive of his policies than the man himself. Most Americans believe that the United States has ignored serious problems at home while entangling itself in costly conflicts abroad.

A majority of people told the polls that they are “worried or pessimistic” about the next four years. According to another poll conducted by the website FiveThirtyEight, his favorability rating has hovered just below 50 per cent. Interestingly, this matches the share of the popular vote he garnered in the 2024 presidential race.

A vast majority of Americans also don’t want him to prosecute his political opponents. Overall, 73 per cent of Americans say they oppose the idea of Trump pursuing legal charges against his adversaries — with 49 per cent saying they are strongly opposed to it.

The poll also showed that Americans hold their government t in exceedingly low esteem — far lower than during the Watergate era, NYT reported. Two-thirds of Americans also pointed out that the country’s economy unfairly favours the wealthy. Despite all the apprehensions, the majority expect Trump to follow through on what he said he would do.

With inputs from agencies.