A recent CNN/SSRS poll reveals that a majority of Americans approve of President-elect Donald Trump’s management of the transition process and are optimistic about his upcoming presidency. However, Trump’s transition approval ratings are lower compared to the last four presidents.
The poll indicates that 54% of respondents believe Trump will perform well as president when he assumes office next month, and 55% approve of his transition efforts so far. In comparison, President Joe Biden had a 66% approval rating for his transition, former President Barack Obama had 79%, former President George W. Bush had 65%, and former President Bill Clinton had 62%.
While only 48% of respondents think Trump will bring positive change to the country, the percentage of people who believe things are going “very badly” in America has dropped to its lowest since May 2018 at 15%. Additionally, 38% of respondents feel things are going well, the highest since December 2021, though 61% still believe things are going badly.
Trump’s current transition approval is higher than during his 2016 transition, with 48% expecting positive change compared to 43% in 2016. This shift is attributed to increased support from typically Democratic-leaning demographics, including women (up 10 points), people of color (up 11 points), and individuals under 45 (up 8 points).
The poll also shows that more Americans have “a lot” of confidence in Trump’s ability to handle the economy (39%) than any other issue. Trump’s economic confidence rating surpasses those of previous presidents George W. Bush (29%), Bill Clinton (20%), and Ronald Reagan (26%) during their respective transitions.