A new poll by The New York Times and Siena College finds that voters think highly of the former president’s record on the economy, but memories of his divisiveness largely remain intact.
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The poll’s findings underscore how a segment of voters now recall the Trump years as a time of economic prosperity and strong national security.
Views of Donald J. Trump’s presidency have become more positive since he left office, bolstering his case for election and posing a risk to President Biden’s strategy of casting his opponent as unfit for the presidency, according to a new poll by The New York Times and Siena College.
While the memories of Mr. Trump’s tumultuous and chaotic administration have not significantly faded, many voters now have a rosier picture of his handling of the economy, immigration and maintaining law and order. Ahead of the 2020 election, only 39 percent of voters said that the country was better off after Mr. Trump took office. Now, looking back, nearly half say that he improved things during his time as president.
The poll’s findings underscore the way in which a segment of voters have changed their minds about the Trump era, recalling those years as a time of economic prosperity and strong national security. The shift in views about his administration comes even as Mr. Trump faces dozens of felony counts and will appear in a New York courtroom on Monday for jury selection in one of his four criminal trials.
How respondents’ views of
Trump have changed
30
40
50
60%
From 2020 to now
2020
2024
Approve of his handling
of the economy
+10
Think he left the
country better off
+9
Approve of his handling of
maintaining law & order
+8
Approve of his handling
of unifying America
+4
Approve of his handling
of Covid
+3
Approve of his handling
of the Supreme Court
+1
From 2016 to now
2016
2024
Think electing him is
a “safe” choice
+11
Think he respects women
–4
How respondents’ views of Trump have changed
30
40
50
60%
From 2020 to now
2020
2024
Approve of his handling of the economy
+10
Think he left the country better off
+9
Approve of his handling of maintaining
law & order
+8
Approve of his handling of unifying America
+4
Approve of his handling of Covid
+3
Approve of his handling of
the Supreme Court
+1
From 2016 to now
2016
2024
Think electing him is a “safe” choice
+11
Think he respects women
–4
Note: Changes between surveys of three percentage points or less are not considered statistically significant.
Based on CBS News/New York Times polls of registered voters conducted in the fall of 2016 and New York Times/Siena College polls conducted in the fall of 2020 and in April 2024.
Many voters still remember Mr. Trump as a divisive and polarizing figure, giving him low ratings on race relations and unifying the country. Yet, a larger share of voters see Mr. Trump’s term as better for the country than the current administration, with 42 percent rating the Trump presidency as mostly good for the country compared with 25 percent who say the same about Mr. Biden’s. Nearly half say the Biden years have been mostly bad for the country.
Many of Mr. Trump’s key constituencies, such as white voters without a college degree, are particularly likely to have a fond view of his time in office. But a broad swath of the country — including Hispanic voters, voters over 30 and most lower- and middle-income voters — now see Mr. Trump’s years in office as more good than bad.
Do you generally remember the years that
(this candidate) was president as mostly
good years for America, mostly bad years
for America, or not really good or bad?
Mostly good
for America
Not really
good or bad
Mostly bad
for America
25%
27%
46%
Biden
Don’t know/
declined to say 1%
42%
23%
33%
Trump
2%
Do you generally remember the years that (this candidate)
was president as mostly good years for America, mostly
bad years for America, or not really good or bad?
Mostly good
for America
Not really
good or bad
Mostly bad
for America
Don’t know/
declined to say1%
25%
27%
46%
Biden
2%
42%
23%
33%
Trump
Note: Figures may not add up to 100 percent because of rounding.
Based on a New York Times/Siena College poll of 1,059 registered voters conducted April 7 to 11, 2024.
By Molly Cook Escobar
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Source: nytimes.com
