‘Going to start raiding place’: Donald Trump faces 51% disapproval from supporters over his ‘aggressive policies’
Donald Trump's presidency began with aggressive policies that disrupted trade and immigration, sparking mixed reactions from the public. While some supporters expressed enthusiasm, many others voiced concerns over the implications of his actions and the speed of his administration's changes.
Donald Trump’s return as the 47th president of the United States was dramatic, and his first few weeks in office have been nothing short of exceptional.
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In his first month, he disrupted global trade with a series of aggressive tariffs on the country’s largest trading partners, ramped up the deportation of illegal immigrants, pushed for greater control over other nations, and launched an unprecedented attack on the bureaucracy, creating fear among thousands of federal workers.
Trump's close aide, Elon Musk, sent a fierce weekend email to Federal workers, asking, “What did you do last week?” This email sparked outrage even among some Republican leaders.
A Wall Street Journal (WSJ) poll suggested that most people preferred a more moderate and less aggressive approach than the one Trump promised during his campaign. A poll released last month by the WSJ revealed that the majority preferred a more measured, less aggressive set of policies than those promised by Trump during the most unrestrained moments of his campaign.
In recent weeks, the Journal followed up with nearly two dozen of Trump’s supporters and found differing opinions- some voiced regrets or concerns, while many were enthusiastic about his early actions to disrupt Washington.
Staci White, a 49-year-old Omaha, Nebraska resident, told the WSJ that she didn’t believe he would actually follow through on some of the more hard-line policies he touted during the campaign. “When we said safer borders, I thought he was thinking ‘Let’s stop the drugs from coming into the country,’” she said. “I didn’t know he was going to start raiding places.”
Todd Winant, 64, a holistic coach from Cornville, Arizona, expressed support for Trump’s actions, including his discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, his immigration crackdown, and his decision to appoint Robert F Kennedy Jr as Health and Human Services Secretary and Tulsi Gabbard as the country’s intelligence chief. “My whole nervous system relaxed,” he said, reflecting his relief when Kennedy and Gabbard were confirmed to the cabinet, the WSJ report said.
Meanwhile, a February survey by the Pew Research Center said that 17% of those surveyed supported some of Trump’s proposals, while 47% of Americans opposed most or all of his plans. This survey showed that Trump had a 51% disapproval rating, with 47% of Americans approving his performance as president.
Even among voters who supported Trump, there were concerns about the speed and scope of his actions. Some questioned his plans for large-scale deportations, urging him to focus only on criminals. Others expressed concerns over dramatic government cuts and funding freezes, particularly those championed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which affected programmes they or their communities relied on. While some minority voters welcomed the end of diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring practices, they also feared a rise in discrimination under Trump’s leadership.
(With inputs from agencies)
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