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EXPERT COMMENT

As the Trump administration enters its crucial second year, polls indicate that much of the American public disapproves of the president and his flagship policies, although views are split along partisan lines.

As US President Donald Trump enters the second year of his second term, polls suggest his domestic popularity is in decline. Various surveys of US public opinion have found that the public disapproves of his handling of key domestic challenges and some of his flagship policies lack support.  

The extraordinary operation to seize Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife on 3 January is likely to dominate short-term reactions to Trump’s presidency at the beginning of the new year. But it is too early to say how it will affect his popularity in the long run. 

Trump had positioned himself as an anti-war ‘president of peace’, and December polling before the operation indicated most Americans opposed US military action in Venezuela. However, some previous US presidents, such as George W Bush, enjoyed significant short-term boosts from foreign military interventions. 

The long-term impact may depend on how things play out in Venezuela. Initial signs are that the Venezuela operation is unlikely to undo the firm partisan split in how Trump’s presidency is received. It is also unlikely to affect a fundamental decline in support among independent voters, whose main concern remains the US economy.

Click here to continue reading the full version of this Expert Comment on the Chatham House website.