Trump tries to bend reality to his will with epic all-caps rant about his poll numbers

Trump tries to bend reality to his will with epic all-caps rant about his poll numbers President cites ‘real’ polling but fails to offer any data to back up grandiose claim - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Americans have never been more disapproving of President Donald Trump amid still-high gas prices and the ongoing drama surrounding his ceasefire deal with Iran, but he seems to believe everything is fine. The president took to Truth Social on Wednesday to claim his “REAL POLL NUMBERS” are “THE HIGHEST THEY HAVE EVER BEEN” but failed to cite any actual survey to support his claim. In reality, multiple polls released in recent weeks show Trump’s approval rating having plummeted as Americans have increasingly soured on him and his party with the November midterms elections in sight. Although a single Daily Mail poll released on Wednesday showed his approval at 47 percent with 53 percent disapproving, a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted over the same time period found just 34 percent of Americans reporting they approve of his job performance compared to a supermajority of 64 percent who said they disapprove. An Economist/YouGov survey conducted from June 19 to June 22 found 39 percent of respondents approving of Trump’s performance compared with 58 percent disapproving. The RealClearPolitics average of presidential job approval polls shows Trump with an average approval of 40.4 percent and an average disapproval of 57.7 percent for the period starting May 29 and ending June 23. That average is even lower than the 41.1 percent approval and 56.1 percent disapproval averages calculated during Trump’s last ten full days in office at the tail end of his first term — including the aftermath of the January 6, 2021 riot he fomented at the U.S. Capitol in a last-ditch attempt to avoid certification of his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. Trump’s average approval is just barely above the 39 percent approval average calculated for Biden during his last ten days in office, though Biden’s disapproval average for that period was slightly lower than Trump’s, coming in at 57.1 percent. The president’s polling woes are expected to factor heavily in what will likely be a defeat for his party in this year’s midterm elections. With the entire House, a third of the Senate and scores of governors races and state legislative seats up for grabs, Republicans could be set for a record thrashing at the hands of voters who have tired of Trump’s failure to address affordability concerns while embracing the foreign military adventurism he spent years decrying on the campaign trail. While the White House has repeatedly claimed that Trump would pivot to addressing cost-of-living issues, he has largely eschewed the nuts and bolts of such governing tasks in favor of obsessing over purported legacy-burnishing projects such as his planned $400 million White House ballroom and the shambolic renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as his White House-aligned Freedom250 organization puts on multiple partisan events to mark the country’s 250th anniversary. Trump is set to deliver remarks at a quasi-rally-style event on Wednesday to open what Freedom250 has billed as the Great American State Fair on the National Mall. A concert that had been planned to mark the opening has similarly been reimagined with a MAGA-friendly lineup after nearly all the artists announced as performing quit when it became clear the event was being put on by the Trump-aligned organization. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments