Roughly half of Americans approve of how President-elect Trump is handling his transition to a second term in the White House, according to two new national polls.
Fifty-five percent of Americans said they largely approve of how the president-elect is handling the transition from the Biden to Trump administrations, according to a CNN poll released on Wednesday.
That’s a higher percentage compared to eight years ago, when Trump first won the White House, but it’s still well behind other recent presidents, according to CNN polling.
Meanwhile, 47% of people questioned in a Marist Poll also released on Tuesday gave the former and future president a thumbs up when it comes to how he’s handling the transition, with 39% disapproving and 14% unsure.
Not surprisingly, the Marist survey indicates a massive partisan divide on the question, with 86% of Republicans approving of how the GOP president-elect is handling the transition. But 72% of Democrats disapproved. Among independents, 43% disapproved and 38% approved.
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President-elect Donald Trump attends the America First Policy Institute Gala held at Mar-a-Lago on November 14, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) (Â Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
“Although more people support Trump’s transition than oppose it, more independents are taking a wait and see position than more partisan voters,” Marist Institute for Public Opinion director Lee Miringoff said.
Miringoff added that “a note of caution for President-elect Trump is that fewer voters approve of the transition than gave a thumbs up to either Biden or Obama at this point.”
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Marist questioned 3,131 adults nationwide from Dec. 3-5 for their survey, with an overall margin of error of plus or minus 2.1 percentage points.
The CNN poll was conducted Dec. 5-8, with an overall sampling error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
The release of the polls came as Trump’s cabinet picks continued to meet with senators on Capitol Hill, ahead of confirmation hearings starting next month.
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be Defense Secretary, gives a thumbs-up as he walks with his wife Jennifer Hegseth, left, to meet with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Trump named his nominees for his cabinet and his choices for other top administration officials at a faster pace than he did eight years ago, following his first White House victory.
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But his transition has already faced some setbacks, including his first attorney general nominee – former Rep. Matt Gaetz – ending his bid for confirmation amid controversy over allegations he paid for sex with underage girls.
President-elect Donald Trump (left), France’s President Emmanuel Macron (center),and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky pose before a meeting at The Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on December 7, 2024. Trump made his first international trip since his election win, with a day of diplomacy before attending the reopening ceremony for the Notre Dame cathedral restored after the 2019 fire. (Photo by Sarah Meyssonnier / POOL / AFP) (Photo by SARAH MEYSSONNIER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) (Sarah Meyssonnier)
Meanwhile, Trump last weekend made his first international trip since defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in last month’s election, as he was courted by world leaders during a stop in Paris, France.
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Trump will be inaugurated on Jan. 20.
According to the CNN poll, 54% of Americans say they expect Trump to do a good job as president once he takes over in the White House.Â