WASHINGTON — Newly elected presidents usually get a honeymoon period from the American public. Not Donald Trump.
People remain deeply concerned about Trump’s volatile, unpredictable temperament, a new McClatchy-Marist poll finds. They’re troubled by his ethics. And they remain deeply divided over whether he’ll be an effective president.
“People are not settling down to the fact he’s president-elect,” said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion in New York, which conducted the survey. “They feel things are more divided.”
Since winning the election, Trump has continued to court controversy. He’s called reports that Russia tried to influence the election “ridiculous.” He’s tweeted his disdain for “Saturday Night Live.” He tore into Broadway’s “Hamilton” after cast members criticized the administration on a night when Vice President-elect Mike Pence attended.
Seventy-two percent believe the country is more divided since the election; just 20 percent say it is more unified. Fifty-three percent said Trump would do more to divide the country than unite it.
In one sense, the national chasm is not a surprise following an ugly presidential race.
But historically, the nation comes together after electing a new president. Eight years ago, 63 percent approved of how President-elect Obama handled the transition. Just 10 percent disapproved. Obama had won 52.9 percent of the popular vote.
This month, Trump won approval from 49 percent in the poll after winning 46 percent of the popular vote, and opinion about him fell largely along party lines. Nearly 9 of 10 Republicans approved of Trump in the poll. About three-fourths of Democrats disapproved.
People were split on whether Trump would promote change for the better. Forty-four percent said he would while 34 percent said he would not.
Obama eight years ago stirred more optimism as 55 percent were optimistic about change and 10 percent were not.
Obama’s showing was in line with the typical honeymoon period.
Shortly after his election in 1992, Bill Clinton was viewed favorably by 58 percent in the Gallup Poll, even though he had won 43 percent of the popular vote. Eight years later, after a bitter recount battle, George W. Bush was still seen favorably by 59 percent.
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