(The Center Square) – Sans consumer affordability, polling July 1-11 of North Carolinians gives second-term Republican President Donald Trump higher marks in his America First agenda than his overall rating.
Securing the U.S. southern border (46%), national security in general (45%), immigration in general (44%), law enforcement (42%), protecting American workers (42%), voting integrity (41%) and fighting government fraud and corruption (40%) were his best issues in the High Point University Poll. Overall, the president earned an approval rating of 38% and a disapproval rating of 50%.
Trump’s America First agenda, as laid out Jan. 20, 2025, on his Inauguration Day and posted to the White House website, is to “make America safe again, make America affordable and energy dominant again, drain the swamp, and bring back American values.”
Since then, details in the agenda have involved the border wall and deportations for immigration and border security; tariffs, tax cuts and manufacturing policies for trade and the economy; policies to increase energy production and reduce regulation for energy and the environment; and reduction in federal government jobs and an increase in fiscal responsibility by allies in governance and foreign policy.
The poll drew 1,005 responses, 772 of which said they were registered to vote. High Point said traditional margin of error should not be used due to not following assumptions associated with random selection; the credibility interval is +/- 3.2%.
A polled released Tuesday by The Economist/YouGov was similar. Trump drew 36% saying strongly or somewhat approve of his job performance, and 60% strongly or somewhat disapproved. Most politicos say midterms for presidents yield approval ratings in the low 40s, sometimes mid-40s.
Issues in which Trump earned a higher disapproval than his overall number were gas prices (64%), inflation (61%), taxes (57%), the economy in general (56%), the war in Ukraine (54%), tariffs (52%), and healthcare in general (51%). For threats posed by Iran, approval was 36% and disapproval 50%.
Trump’s approval being higher than disapproval, by issue, included securing the U.S. southern border (46%-42%), national security in general (45%-41%) and immigration in general (44%-42%). It was even on law enforcement (42%-42%) and more disapproval than approval on the other 20 issues.
Respondents said the country’s direction was on the wrong track (58%) more than the right direction (29%); and the state’s direction was on the wrong track (47%) more than the right direction (33%).
In other approval measures, the U.S. Supreme Court didn’t fare well (43% disapprove, 32% approve, 25% unsure) and Congress didn’t fare well (49% disapprove, 28% approve, 23% unsure).
First-term Democratic Gov. Josh Stein did fare well (44% approve, 27% disapprove, 30% unsure).
