Some of the latest poll numbers to come out of my home state of Michigan do seem to be a bit of a mixed bag for Democrats overall but the poll numbers for the current occupant of the Oval Office are definitely slipping.
(WXYZ) - Even though candidate Donald Trump won Michigan last November, he’s off to a rough start winning the job performance approval of Michiganders early in his presidency.
Just three weeks into being America’s commander-in-chief, 48% of the 600 people polled statewide have an unfavorable opinion of President Trump, versus 39% who have a favorable impression of the former New York businessman.
Thirteen percent couldn’t make up their minds.
Trump also didn’t do well on his job rating. Fifty-four percent gave him an unsatisfactory mark, 40% believe he’s doing a good job and 6% are undecided.
That’s the latest finding of an exclusive EPIC MRA survey released first to WXYZ-TV 7/Detroit Free Press and our media polling partners in Grand Rapids, Flint, Lansing and Detroit.
Bernie Porn, president of the Lansing-based firm that conducted the survey summed up the President’s low numbers this way, “It’s obvious that Mr. Trump’s short term as president has, so far, been under whelming to the voters of Michigan.”
(And, yes, Bernie Porn is a for realz name!)
The drop in Trump’s job performance numbers in Michigan can be attributed to the loss of support among women and independents but not all of the polling news is bad for Trump in Michigan: he retains his base of support in critical geographic areas and among Republicans.
But the news is not all bad for Trump. In Macomb County and northern Michigan, where he scored decisive wins in November, support is solid. In Macomb, 54% viewed him favorably compared to 41% in Oakland County and 28% in Wayne. In northern Michigan, Trump got his biggest numbers, with 58% viewing him favorably.
Among conservatives, Republicans and tea party members, Trump also saw big numbers, with 97% of strong tea party members and 72% of self-described conservative voters rating his job performance as excellent or good. But only 3% of African Americans and 37% of women gave him excellent or good grades. Among independents, 44% rated his performance as good or excellent while 47% rated him fair or poor.
“His personality is so different than anyone else. How does anyone know from one hour to the next what he’s going to do to endear himself or royally upset somebody?” Porn said. “It’s kind of like having a pet rattlesnake. He’s rattled a lot of cages. I think that’s his purpose in life.”