The public’s view of Donald Trump’s second term in office as President of the US has been summed up in a poll in three words – and two aren’t pretty.
Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States earlier this year on January 20, the 78-year-old announcing the ‘Golden Age of America’.
Since then, he’s signed off on executive orders like there’s no tomorrow, deported innocent men and children and started a raging tariff war with countries across the globe.
It’s certainly been a strong start to his four years in office and a poll by the New York Times and Siena College has revealed what the US really thinks of the president’s second term so far.
Conducted from April 21 to 4, the college poll consisted of 913 voters.
Voters were asked to respond to the question: “How well do each of the following words describe Donald Trump’s second term in office so far?”
Voters were given a selection of words and asked to say whether they described Trump’s second term ‘well’ or ‘very well’.
Three words — “chaotic,” “scary,” and “exciting” — yielded some striking results in the poll.
The most popular response? “Chaotic” led by a wide margin, with 66% of votes.
“Scary” followed closely behind, receiving 59% of the votes.
Meanwhile, “exciting” came in last, with just 42%.
This poll isn’t the only one highlighting growing concerns about Trump’s potential second term in office.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted over six days and involving 4,306 respondents, closed on April 21.
The results showed Trump’s public approval rating has hit its lowest point since his return to the White House.
Right after his inauguration, the poll showed a 47% approval rating.
By earlier this month, that number had dropped to 43%.
As of last week, it fell further to 42%.
The poll also asked voters to respond to specific statements regarding executive orders pushed through by Trump.
Last month, Trump signed an executive order aimed at altering monuments and “restoring truth to American history,” including making changes to the Smithsonian.
In response, a Reuters/Ipsos poll asked voters if the president should have control over institutions like national museums and theaters, with 66% saying no.
The poll also presented the statement: “It’s okay for a U.S. president to withhold funding from universities if they disagree with how the university is run.” Fifty-seven percent of voters disagreed, including one-third of Republicans.
Additionally, 59% of those polled including a third of Republicans said the U.S. is “losing credibility on the global stage.”
Given the backlash Trump faced for his “embarrassing” appearance at Pope Francis’ funeral, it’s easy to understand why many voters felt this way.
