Another day, another utterly bizarre story about the Trump family. While it’s no surprise that Donald isn’t the most popular among the Trumps, YouGov and the Economists conducted a poll that revealed who, exactly, is. And surprisingly, it’s a Trump who doesn’t really care… but apparently, we do?
Or at least, people who participated in the poll between March 3 and March 5 do, because 51 percent of respondents said they had a favorable (or somewhat favorable) opinion of none other than first lady Melania Trump. Yes, that’s right. The woman who claimed to be the most bullied person in the world.
36 percent of respondents dislike Melania, and 13 percent report not knowing how they feel.
How did the other Trumps rank? Ivanka and Donald Trump tied in second place, each coming in at about a 44 percent favorability rating. Donald Trump Jr. came in at 36, Eric Trump at 32, and lastly, Jared Kushner (the only in-law included in the poll) rounded out the pack at 27.
Notice anyone missing? While it makes sense that Barron, Donald’s 12-year-old son, wouldn’t be included in the poll, they’ve also left off Tiffany Trump, which is a headscratcher. Trump’s grandchildren also weren’t included.
Why is Melania (relatively) liked? To offer a guess, it’s that she stays pretty far from politics. In fact, she stays pretty invisible; she’s gone almost a month at a time without appearing in public since entering the White House. Perhaps waiting almost five months to join her husband in the White House has something to do with it?
In contrast to Melania’s low level of visibility, Ivanka, Donald Jr., and Eric are pretty frequently in the public eye in connection with their father. While Melania is certainly complicit, it’s possible that the general public sees her as less guilty than the other adult Trumps. It’s also possible that she reads as having less (obvious) influence on her husband’s decisions, perhaps removing some of the heat.
The poll found that Melania is more well-liked by men than women, with male responders split evenly between Democrats and Republicans.
In June 2018, Melania’s favorability rating were significantly behind those of Michelle Obama and Laura Bush, the last two first ladies who preceded her. So while Melania is leading the Trumps, she isn’t doing so hot in comparison to people that Americans actually, well, like.