MILWAUKEE — More adults are saying they approve of the way President-elect Donald Trump handled his job when he was president in his first term.
The latest Marquette University Law School Poll shows 53% of adults nationwide retrospectively approve of his 2017-2021 presidency, up from 50% who approved in October. This is Trump’s highest approval rating since March, when the Marquette poll first asked the question of retrospective approval.
The poll also asked over 1,000 adults open-ended questions for respondents to offer their own words on their likes and dislikes of Trump.
As for Trump’s cabinet appointments, the public remains split — 49% approve and 51% disapprove. The majority at 74% think the Senate should take time to hold hearings on Trump’s nominees.
Approval ratings for Trump’s policies vary. The public remains skeptical about tariffs, with 26% saying they will help the economy and 46% saying they will hurt the economy.
Opinion on immigration varies depending on how the question is framed — 45% favor the policy of undocumented immigrants staying in jobs and eventually applying for citizenship, and 42-64% favor deportations.
Policy on transgender issues receives the highest support, with 76% in favor of requiring transgender athletes to play on teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth. Support for increasing oil and gas production in the U.S. is a close second, at 74%.
President Joe Biden’s approval rating declined to 34%, down from 38% in October. The poll shows President Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter Biden is especially unpopular, with 29% who approve and 71% who disapprove.
Vice President Kamala Harris’s approval rating declined to 41%, down from 46% in October when she held a 1% lead before the 2024 election.
