A new CBS News/YouGov poll reveals that most Americans are optimistic about President-elect Donald Trump’s transition back into the White House and his plans for the next four years.
According to the survey, 59% of Americans approve of how Trump is handling the administration transition, while 41% disapprove.
🚨 JUST IN: approval poll of President-elect Donald Trump’s transition
🔴 Approve: 59% (+18)
🔵 Disapprove: 41%CBS/YouGov pic.twitter.com/sDXYHPlazK
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 24, 2024
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Trump, 78, completed his cabinet selections last week, although his nominees still need to pass the Senate confirmation process to officially join his team.
CBS POLL: “59% of Americans approve of how President-elect Donald Trump is handling the presidential transition.”
🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/bVB9DlQp2N
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) November 24, 2024
Many of his picks have drawn both praise and criticism from the public.
One of the standout choices, Health and Human Services Secretary-designate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., received the highest approval among poll respondents.
According to the survey, 47% of Americans viewed Kennedy as a “good” pick, while 34% said he was “not good.”
Kennedy’s selection, despite controversy surrounding his past skepticism about vaccine safety, has garnered strong public support.
Secretary of State-designate Marco Rubio also received positive feedback, with 44% of respondents calling him a “good” pick compared to 25% who disagreed.
Director of National Intelligence-designate Tulsi Gabbard and Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth also received favorable responses, with Gabbard earning a 36% approval rate and Hegseth notching 33%.
However, Hegseth, who has faced resurfaced sexual assault allegations—allegations he denies—received some negative reactions as well.
A newly released police report detailed a 2017 alleged sexual assault by Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s defense secretary pick. “The matter was fully investigated, and I was completely clear, and that’s where I’m going to leave it,” Hegseth said. pic.twitter.com/2drvimh1T8
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) November 22, 2024
Despite controversies surrounding several of Trump’s nominees, public opinion has remained relatively favorable.
While critics continue to raise concerns about the backgrounds and past actions of some picks, such as Gabbard’s meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2017, these issues appear to have had a limited effect on overall public sentiment.
Trump has suggested the possibility of bypassing the sometimes cumbersome Senate confirmation process for his picks.
However, 76% of poll respondents, including 55% of Republicans, expressed a desire for confirmation hearings to take place, indicating broad support for the traditional confirmation process.
The poll also asked respondents about the importance of loyalty to Trump among his appointees.
A slim majority (51%) of Americans believe that loyalty to the president should be a key factor in the selection of political appointees, with a strong 81% of Republicans agreeing.
As Trump’s inauguration nears in about 57 days, public opinion on the future of the country appears largely optimistic.
Among those surveyed, 23% expressed excitement about what Trump will do as president, while 30% said they were optimistic, 23% concerned, and another 23% scared.
Opinion on Trump’s future presidency sharply divided along party lines, with 54% of Republicans expressing excitement compared to 35% of Democrats who were concerned and 50% who were scared.
Regarding the outcome of the election, 31% of respondents said they were happy with the results, while 24% were satisfied, 23% dissatisfied, and 21% were outright angry.
One major area of focus for many respondents is the hope that Trump will address the rising cost of living.
When asked about food prices, 44% of respondents believed Trump would help lower prices, while 35% thought costs would continue to rise and 21% expected no change.
A new @CBSNewsPoll finds 59% of Americans approve of how President-elect Trump is handling the presidential transition. Trump, with this weekend’s flurry of Cabinet pick announcements, has now filled out most of his top administration roles. @NikolenDC reports on the latest… pic.twitter.com/gmKHYg0TpE
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) November 24, 2024
The CBS News/YouGov poll sampled 2,232 U.S. adults between November 19-22, with a margin of error of ±2.3 percentage points.
Other polling, such as a Pew Research Center survey, shows similar support for Trump’s future plans, with 53% of Americans somewhat or strongly approving of his agenda compared to 46% who disapprove.
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