FOX POLL RESPONDENTS: TRUMP DOESN'T HAVE A MANDATE AND WE DON'T EXPECT HIM TO BE A VERY GOOD PRESIDENT (updated)

The headline for this Fox story is "Fox News Poll: Trump Is the Most Popular He’s Ever Been." But that's not saying much:

As Inauguration Day approaches, President-elect Trump receives his highest favorable rating and half of registered voters approve of his handling of the presidential transition.

When you look at the numbers, you see that the "highest favorable rating" is a mere 50%, with 50% having an unfavorable opinion of him. As for his handling of the transition, he gets 52% approval, with 46% disapproving. But among Fox poll respondents in December 2020, 65% approved Joe Biden's handling of his transition, while only 26% disapproved.

More:

Still, a majority does not view his election win as a mandate, and more think it was a rejection of the outgoing administration rather than an endorsement of Trump.

The latest Fox News Poll, released Wednesday, finds that by a 13-point margin, more voters view Trump’s victory as a referendum on President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ policies and performance (54%) than a validation of Trump’s (41%). That includes 71% of Democrats, 64% of independents and 34% of Republicans saying it was more of a rejection....

While Trump describes his 2024 win as a mandate, a slim 51% majority disagrees. Some 4 in 10 (42%) call it a mandate, including 69% of Trump supporters....

At a time when 99% of Democratic officeholders and officials seem to believe that Trump has a massive mandate, it's instructive to learn that ordinary Americans -- including some Republicans -- disagree.

Trump's agenda isn't popular. Given this choice:

1. Deport all illegal immigrants back to their home country 2. Deport only those illegal immigrants who have been charged with crimes but allow those who are law-abiding to remain in the U.S. and eventually qualify for citizenship 3. Allow all illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S. 4. (Don't know)

Only 30% of respondents choose "Deport all," while 59% choose option #2, which includes a path to citizenship for the law-abiding.

Take over the Panama Canal? 53% say no. "Impos[e] large tariffs on Canada and Mexico to get them to change their immigration policies?" Again, 53% say no. Buy Greenland? 57% say no. Investigate Trump's prosecutors? 56% say no. (54% want to extend the 2017 tax cuts, but that's probably because the question doesn't use the word "cuts" -- it refers to "the 2017 tax reform law.")

78% of respondents want Democrats to work with Trump -- and 65% want Trump to work with Democrats, which won't happen.

Do voters think Trump will do a good job? A December Fox poll suggests that they're not expecting much. A few highlights:

"During the next year, do you think the economy will get better, get worse, or stay about the same?" Better 39%, worse 37%, the same 22%

"Under the new Trump administration, do you think... The country will be safer, less safe, or stay about the same?" Safer 42%, less safe 36%, stay the same 20%

"Prices for food and gas will increase, decrease, or stay about the same?" Increase 41%, decrease 39%, stay the same 19%

"Restrictions on abortion will increase, decrease, or stay about the same?" Increase 52%, decrease 13%, stay the same 34%

"American Democracy will get stronger, weaker, or stay about the same?" Stronger 38%, weaker 43%, stay the same 17%

"The national debt will increase, decrease, or stay about the same?" Increase 48%, decrease 31%, stay the same 20%

"Your taxes will go up, down, or stay about the same?" Up 37%, down 30%, stay the same 32%

These aren't great numbers. Trump's only really good number in this series of questions is on "The country’s southern border will be more secure, less secure, or stay about the same?" -- 56% say it will be more secure (14% less, 28% the same).

It's possible that Americans will be tolerant of Trump's inevitable failures because they simply don't expect government to work anymore. I hope his approval ratings plummet when he screws up, but those low expectations might save him, at least for a while.

*****

UPDATE: Some people are not reading the room.

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman said Wednesday he’s open to Donald Trump’s idea that the U.S. acquire Greenland, telling reporters that it’s “strategically a smart thing.”

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— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast.bsky.social) January 15, 2025 at 8:57 PM

It's understandable that some Democrats might want to move closer to Trump's positions on an issue or two. I don't like the headlong rush to embrace right-wing views on immigration, but I understand -- it's an issue on which the public seems to have moved to the right. But Greenland? Why? Buying Greenland is opposed by 76% of Democrats, 63% of independents, and even 37% of Republicans. What voters does Fetterman think he's winning over with this very unpopular idea?