Donald Trump's Job Approval Rating: Newsweek
The first three months of the second term of our 47th President has been unprecedented in every respect: More Executive Orders than FDR, more people let go than Clinton, and severe strains on legal and Constitution bounds.
According to ABC News, 220 lawsuits have been filed against the current administration since January. According to the New York Times, 58,486 people have been fired, 76,000 took buyouts, and 148,320 laid-off or are planned to be cut. The top four agencies with cuts are AID 93%, VOA 85%, America Corps 93%, and CFDB 85%. Although no official figures have been released, the goal appears to be 12%, or 2.4 million from all departments. There have been issues about funding or defunding agencies set in law by the Congress.
Perhaps the most newsworthy has been the number of tariffs introduced, reduced, or withdrawn. The DJIA experienced a monthly return of -4.33% in March and -3.95% in April, according to StatMuse.
The markets have fluctuated wildly, thus leading some to predict a recession. The top three markets recovered some last week, but both investors and businesses are left guessing what to do. That has caused his poll ratings to drop precipitously to 44 percent.
A sharp decline in illegal border crossings started with Biden and has continued. The treatment and forced deportation of undocumented immigrants has created a lot of controversies about their treatments. ICE has been aggressive in pulling people off the streets or out of their homes without warning, sometimes without warrants. The administration is threatening cities, churches, and other places of refuge.
What is unique is his personal vendetta against some law firms and universities. He also has fired people in the DOJ who were on the prosecuting teams of his lawsuits. He has tracked down people peacefully demonstrating on the streets and had them jailed. He has threatened the members of the January 6th Commission.
Some of the pettiness of his personal pique is peculiar. DEI seems to be an evil word to him, and he has struck individuals and departments not only from government but also in private industries and universities. Billions of dollars in NIH Research grants have been pulled from universities and science organizations forcing them to lay-off people. Members of the Cabinet and Department Heads have been indoctrinated in the MAGA rule and appear to be mere rubber stamps.
The standard bearer for much of this has been Elon Musk and DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency. Neither has been reviewed or approved by Congress as a cabinet position. Their crime has been accessing public databases without approval and using that data in choices of whom to fire. Never mind breaking the laws, what about personal privacy?
Issues have been raised about changing election rules, which are functions of the state electoral commissions. Congress has stepped in where there were obvious examples of discrimination based on race. The President said he doesn’t know if he has to abide with the Constitution.
The President and his allies promise that all will work out beautifully with just some more time to sort out the kinks. I’m not sure that China nor the European Union would agree.
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