Roughly half of Americans approve of how President-elect Trump is handling his transition to a second term in the White House, according to two new national polls. A CNN poll found that 55% of Americans approve of how the president-elect is handling the transition from the Biden to Trump administrations. This is a higher percentage compared to eight years ago, when Trump first won the White House, but it is still well behind other recent presidents, according to CNN polling.
The Marist Poll also released its findings, showing that 47% of people questioned approved of how Trump is handling the transition, with 39% disapproving and 14% unsure. The Marist survey indicates a massive partisan divide on the question, with 86% of Republicans approving of how the GOP president-elect is handling the transition, but 72% of Democrats disapproving. Among independents, 43% disapproved and 38% approved.
A note of caution for President-elect Trump is that fewer voters approve of the transition than gave a thumbs up to either Biden or Obama at this point, according to Marist Institute for Public Opinion Director Lee Miringoff. The transition has already faced some setbacks, including the withdrawal of President-elect Trump’s first attorney general nominee, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, amid controversy over allegations he paid for sex with underage girls.