A new poll indicates that 58% of Americans view the first year of Donald Trump's second term as unsuccessful. Disapproval extends to key policies, including immigration and foreign affairs. Additionally, Trump has received the Nobel Peace Prize medal from Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.
One year into his second presidency, Donald Trump faces significant public disapproval, according to a recent poll highlighted in an NPR analysis. The survey finds that 58% of respondents consider the initial year a failure, with 56% deeming the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent an inappropriate use of force. Fewer than one-third of those polled believe ICE operations have enhanced safety in American cities.
Immigration, once a strong area for Trump, now garners only 38% approval in handling, per the poll from the Associated Press and others. Foreign policy draws even sharper criticism: nearly 70% oppose the notion of seizing Greenland by force. Despite these numbers, the White House shows little shift in direction, opting instead for tactical adjustments like addressing household affordability without major policy overhauls.
Recent controversies include threats against Iran that have eased after Tehran backed away from mass executions of protesters, where the death toll already numbers in the thousands. Trump dispatched an aircraft carrier group to the region amid saber-rattling but has refrained from striking, influenced by appeals from Arab allies and others to avoid escalation. Domestically, no state of emergency has been declared in Minnesota, and investigations target local officials but not yet the ICE agent involved in the shooting.
The administration's approach echoes first-term strategies: 'flood the zone' with attention-grabbing actions to overshadow negative stories, and catering to an 'audience of one'—the president himself. On a lighter note, Trump acquired the Nobel Peace Prize medal this week from María Corina Machado, the actual recipient, in a gesture seen as savvy diplomacy to appease the U.S. leader. The Nobel Committee clarified that the prize remains Machado's, but she presented the medal to advance her cause.
These developments signal challenges ahead, particularly with midterm elections looming, as erosion appears even among Republicans.