Virtually all Republicans, independents and Democrats who voted for President Trump still support him on his 100th day in office, and they blame political opponents for his early failures, such as the inability to repeal and replace Obamacare, according to a new survey.
What’s more, a huge majority of his supporters believe the country is headed in the right direction and nearly three-quarters support construction of a border wall with Mexico.
The survey from the University of Virginia Center for Politics released Thursday morning said that 93 percent of Trump voters approve of his presidency, 42 percent “strongly approve” while 51 percent “somewhat approve.”
It is the latest poll to show that Trump voters have ignored the early stumbles by the administration and much of the media’s negative spin. A Washington Post poll released over the weekend even showed that if the election were held today, Trump would beat foe Hillary Clinton and win the popular vote, which he did not do in the election.
The U.Va. poll and focus group interviews included several positive signs for Trump and surprises from the election. From the school’s release:
— More than half (57 percent) said their vote for Trump was more a vote for him than against Clinton.
— Only 5 percent said that Trump was the most responsible for the failed initial attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Roughly half (48 percent) blamed Democrats, while the remainder blamed House Speaker Paul Ryan (12 percent), moderate Republicans (15 percent), or the conservative House Freedom Caucus (21 percent).
— One in five (20 percent) reported voting for Barack Obama at least once.
— Looking ahead to the 2018 midterm election, 78 percent said they planned to vote for the Republican candidate in their House district.
— Most believed the country was headed in the right direction (70 percent) as opposed to being on the wrong track (22 percent), and two-thirds believed the economy has been improving since Trump took office.
However, many wish the president would stop tweeting and Trump voters deeply distrust the media.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
