[비즈한국] After dropping a 'tariff bombshell' on the world on the 2nd and pressuring Iran on the 4th by claiming that “hell will break loose within 48 hours,” President Trump posted a series of related messages on social media starting at dawn on Easter.
Around 4 a.m. on the 5th (local time), President Trump posted on Truth Social, “If you import third-world products, America becomes third-world! But as long as I am president, that will never happen to America.” He then shared poll results regarding Vice President Vance, his own job performance, and his tariff policies.
According to these results, 92% of respondents said they “approve of Vice President Vance’s job performance,” and 96% said they “approve of President Trump’s job performance.” The approval rating for Trump’s job performance rose from 86% on February 17 to 96% on March 26. Furthermore, 91% agreed with the statement that “President Trump uses tariffs to reduce the U.S. trade deficit and create a fairer playing field for American workers and companies.” Additionally, 94% agreed with the statement, “Trump is the best president of my lifetime.”
These results were attributed to a survey conducted by the conservative polling firm McLaughlin & Associates from February 21 to 24. However, it appears this survey focused exclusively on Republican supporters rather than the general public.
Recent public opinion polls show a completely different picture. According to surveys released in early April, Trump's approval rating has fallen below 40% for the first time since the start of his second term. The Silver Bulletin poll placed it at 39.4%, The Economist at 36%, and CNN at 35%.
The crucial point is the sharp decline in approval for his economic policies and among Republican voters. In the CNN poll, Trump’s approval rating for economic management hit a record low of 31%. The percentage of respondents who said Trump’s policies have worsened the economy reached 65%. These figures are worse than those of his predecessor Joe Biden, whom Trump frequently criticized. Moreover, the percentage of Republicans who strongly support Trump’s governance dropped from 52% in January to 43% in April.
According to The Economist’s survey, the areas respondents identified as the most important issues were inflation/prices, jobs, and the economy. The three areas where Trump received low approval ratings were also foreign policy, inflation/prices, and jobs/economy. Ultimately, the primary drivers of his falling approval ratings appear to be price hikes caused by the war with Iran and his economic policies.
Trump’s series of social media posts, starting from the dawn of a holiday, appears to be an attempt to dilute these negative poll results.
On the night of the 4th, President Trump had already posted a self-congratulatory message, stating, “The employment figures released yesterday show not only that 178,000 new jobs were created, but the trade deficit also decreased by 55%, the largest drop in history. Thanks to tariffs! We achieved all this while simultaneously neutralizing a nuclear-armed Iran. MAGA!!!”