A recent survey revealed that Americans are bracing for Donald Trump's second term to begin, with 54% of the people wholeheartedly supporting Trump and his campaign agendas.
This is a decrease of two points from 2016 when he became the President for the first time, according to the CNBC All-America Economic Survey
The survey reveals that 41% of Americans are uncomfortable supporting him, a 5-point increase from 2016. This decline in support means Trump has less of a safety net as he prepares to resume his presidency.
Donald Trump swept to power upholding the "America First" policies which put American interests at the forefront. The cornerstone of his proposed campaign agendas includes import tariffs, deregulation, and fewer federal climate initiatives.
Trump also vowed to reduce taxes, especially tip taxes, expand the production of fossil fuels, and rescind the FDA's approval of mifepristone, a drug to terminate pregnancies up to seven weeks gestation, are some of his key agendas.
According to the survey, a sizable majority of Americans—60%—think that the new administration should expand its military presence in 2025 on the border to fight human trafficking and illegal drugs. While 13% more people agree with the proposal, they are still okay with it coming into effect later. While 51% of Democrats, 12% of independents, and 3% of Republicans indicate opposition to the idea, only 24% of them do so overtly.
With 51% of Americans anticipating an increase in their finances and 51% believing the US economy will improve, Americans are feeling positive about the economy under Trump's second term. Experts, however, caution against other dangers such as increased inflation, the national debt, and trade disputes.
"Trump's walking into his second term with more sour moods about the current economy, but more hopeful attitudes about what's to come, ″ said Micah Roberts, partner at Public Opinion Strategies, the Republican pollster for the survey.
Meanwhile, 40% of Americans think that now is a good time to buy stocks, the most positive sentiment since 2019. Republicans are now 56 points more optimistic about the stock market than they were in August.
However, the contentious aspect of Trump's agenda lies in his plans to pardon those convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021 riots. Only 43% of the survey respondents support the move and 50% oppose it. The 50% opposition includes 87% of Democrats, 46% of independents, and 18% of Republicans. This issue has garnered the highest level of Republican opposition among all topics surveyed.
In addition, support for tariffs is also more lukewarm as the plan was opposed by 42% of respondents. Only 27% backed them outright, while 24% saying it can be done later in the term.
