Americans are less approving of President-elect Donald Trump than they were of previous presidents during their transitions into office, a new Pew Research Center poll shows.
Americans say Trump has also done too little to distance himself from white supremacists. And a majority are concerned that his business ties will present conflicts.
As Trump prepares to take office, 41 percent say they approve of the job he has done explaining his plans and policies for the future of the American people, while 55 percent say they disapprove of the job Trump has done.
That 41 percent approval rating is lower than President Barack Obama’s 72 percent in December 2008 and President George W. Bush’s 50 percent in January 2001 — in the wake of a disputed election. It’s also lower than President Bill Clinton’s 62 percent in January 1993 and President George H.W. Bush’s 65 percent in March 1989.
Views of Trump split largely along partisan lines. Eight in 10 Republicans say they approve of the job he has done, while just 15 percent of Democrats say the same.
Trump’s Cabinet picks have also received low marks, with just 40 percent of Americans surveyed saying they approve compared to 51 percent who disapprove of his selections so far.
The poll also found Americans expect Trump to work well with Congress and effectively manage the executive branch, while he could struggle with national security and foreign policy.
Of those surveyed, 60 percent said they are “very” or “somewhat” confident Trump can work effectively with Congress. Another 52 percent said they are confident he can manage the executive branch effectively.
But just 45 percent say they are confident he can handle an international crisis, and 44 percent say they are confident he will use military force wisely and prevent major scandals.
Those marks are much lower than the previous Republican president, George W. Bush, who entered office scoring in the 70s on all of those questions.
Alongside negative approval ratings, Trump is also personally viewed unfavorably by 58 percent of Americans, while just 37 percent see him favorably.
Sixty percent say they view Trump as patriotic, and 52 percent see him as a strong leader. But just 41 percent see him as honest and inspiring, while 37 percent see him as well-qualified, 31 percent view Trump as moral and 26 percent see Trump as a good role model.
A majority of Americans — 54 percent — say Trump has done too little to distance himself from white nationalist groups, while 65 percent said they are very or somewhat concerned that his business ties conflict with the country’s best interests.
There’s less concern over the closeness of Trump’s children to the incoming administration. Thirty-nine percent say they will have too much influence, while another 39 percent say they’ll have about the right amount of influence.
Most Americans — 57 percent of those surveyed — say they see “a lot” of discrimination against Muslims in society today. That’s higher than the 43 percent who see a lot of discrimination against gays and lesbians, 41 percent who see it against blacks, 32 percent who see it against Hispanics, 23 percent who see it against women, 15 percent who see it against evangelical Christians, 14 percent who see a lot of discrimination against whites and 13 percent who see it against Jews.
Vice President-elect Mike Pence’s favorability rating is underwater, with 39 percent saying they view him favorably compared to 42 percent unfavorably.
But most Americans — 54 percent of those surveyed — say they believe Pence is qualified to become president if anything happens to Trump, while just 30 percent say he is not qualified.
Pence is most popular among white evangelical Christians: 67 percent view him favorably, and 78 percent say he is qualified to serve as president.
The survey was conducted among 1,502 adults between Nov. 30 and Dec. 5 with cell phone and landline surveys.
