CNN poll reveals majority of Americans optimistic about Trump’s second term

• A new CNN poll shows that 56 percent of Americans expect President-elect Donald Trump to perform well during his second term, marking a significant improvement from his 48 percent approval rating after the 2016 election.
• 55 percent of Americans approve of how Trump handled his transition into office, a substantial increase from the 40 percent approval rating he received eight years ago.
• The poll indicates that 56 percent of Americans are optimistic about the economy under Trump’s leadership, while 52 percent believe the country will be better off at the end of his second term.
• The majority of Americans (74 percent) expect Trump to follow through with his plan to deport illegal migrants, while fewer (56 percent) think he will shut down the U.S.-Mexico border.
• Trump outlined a list of 100 executive orders prioritizing border security and domestic energy production, with plans to issue at least 25 executive orders on the first day of his second term, despite potential legal challenges.

A new CNN poll has revealed that President-elect Donald Trump is entering his second term with a majority of Americans expecting him to perform well and satisfied with his transition into office.

The poll, released on Jan. 16, shows that 56 percent of Americans anticipate that Trump will do a “good job” as the 47th president, marking a significant increase from the 48 percent approval rating he received after his first election victory in 2016. Additionally, the poll found that 55 percent of Americans approve of the way Trump has handled his second transition into public office, which is a substantial improvement from the 40 percent approval rating he received eight years ago.

This uptick in approval comes with a favorable rating of 46 percent, the highest it has been since his victory over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.

The poll also highlights that most Americans (56 percent) are optimistic about the state of the economy under Trump’s leadership, one of the top issues that voters were concerned about on Election Day. A majority of respondents (52 percent) indicated that they believe the country will be better off overall at the end of Trump’s second term.

In terms of his campaign promises, the poll found that Americans are confident that Trump will deliver on several of his key pledges. An overwhelming majority (80 percent) feel it is likely that Trump will impose tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada and China, while 50 percent expect the cost of U.S. goods to go down under his leadership.

Trump has also vowed to embark on the largest deportation operation in U.S. history and 74 percent of Americans believe he will follow through with this plan to detain and deport migrants who entered the country illegally. However, fewer Americans (56 percent) think he will shut down the U.S. border with Mexico.

The poll showed that Americans are more divided on whether Trump will be able to reduce the size and cost of running the federal government (54 percent think he can) and end the war in Ukraine (49 percent believe it is likely).

Despite the divided opinions on some of his promises, the overall results of the poll indicate that Trump is entering his second term with a positive outlook from a majority of Americans. (Related: POLL: American voters trust Donald Trump more than Kamala Harris on firearms issues.)

Americans hold high hopes in Trump’s major campaign promises

The country’s high expectations are accompanied by a conviction that Trump will fulfill some of his most significant campaign pledges.

For instance, on Jan. 15, Trump gave Senate Republicans a preview of his initial agenda during a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill. This preview includes a list of 100 executive orders prioritizing border security and domestic energy production.

Among the top priorities outlined by Trump are deporting illegal migrants who have committed crimes, with the military providing planes to transport them out of the country; implementing the “Remain in Mexico” rule for asylum-seekers, halting all migrant flights from the southern border region and ending catch-and-release policies; revoking the travel ban for “terror-plagued countries” and suspending refugee admissions; and halting the automatic conferring of citizenship on children of illegal immigrants born on U.S. soil, which is likely to face legal challenges.

Other key points also include reinstating offshore gas and oil drilling and opening Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling operations; scrapping outgoing President Joe Biden’s electric vehicle mandate and halting a ban on natural gas exports; reversing the Biden administration’s attempt to redefine sex as “gender identity” in Title IX; and issuing mass pardons to those arrested in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

However, not all of these executive orders will take effect immediately and some will certainly face legal challenges. Trump has also said he will sign at least 25 executive orders on the first day of his second term, according to previous statements on the campaign trail.