Donald Trump has the lowest approval rate since World War II. There are two types of people in the world. Some will see this terrible number as a story, and those who will not be able to believe it is so high. The second group has better handling of things.
There is too much public rebound against Trump. Only 6% of those who supported him in November did so. (These remorseful few have to weigh against 3% of Kamala Harris voters. For reference, Trump almost reached a low rating eight years ago and continued to run Joe Biden Close's re-election before winning in 2024.
Even the emotional turn towards Trump is as decisive as charging, and that's what? Trampling on the Constitution, but not daring to make economics wrong? In this case, comfort in freedom can be found, right? Trump detained aid from Ukraine, which has been under attack since 2014 in the first improper each to ensure its help in digging Biden's dirt. In his second, he tried to overturn the outcome of the presidential election, while people worked hard to die. Voters decided in November last year that such behavior was not disqualified. If stock market reversals now push them toward an advantage, that would be fair enough, but let us curb moral joy.
The real lessons of polls are something we don't need. A minority of voters (more than one-third) are more or less unattainable. It's not an election issue for Democrats, they can win without them, but it's a constitutional issue for the United States. It is difficult to know how a republic can survive in any caucus of rules, principles, or state institutions that are loyal to their partisan team (actually one person).
Why are people so deeply rooted? Why is Trump’s core support almost as firm as literally bedrock? If you think there must be a big reason for the big problem, then there is one that stands out. For some voters, political tribes provide a sense of belonging that religious beliefs once did before church membership declined. The feelings, structures of companions, are so precious to them that they outweigh all moral qualities, just as the worshippers would not say what they said to the priest’s apparent low life. The left is no different.
Otherwise the answer might be more interesting than this. There is little influence on social media. In the past, a citizen regretted with a political view that they might abandon it without embarrassment, such as Homer Simpson who dropped his substitute into that hedge. This is because almost no one (perhaps themselves) will remember their initial position. Now, there may be digital trails in the form of tweets, Facebook posts, or WhatsApp messages.
As the kids say, we have “receipts.” Therefore, changing the mind and friction has more social costs than before. We are all columnists now, even if readers are just friends, family and colleagues.
Yugoff said that in 2003, the majority of the British, not only the majority, supported the Iraq War. Ten years later, the country “remembered” different views. Now, you will find someone who admits to fighting Bambi's mother with the hunter, rather than supporting the invasion. It is hard to know whether it is because of this patented self-deception or when people can slide into and away from perspective without leaving behind criminal residues.
Either way, whether the reason is technology or the desire for group membership in a misting world, the effect is the same. A large percentage of those who turned to Maga about a decade ago will be there until the end. Strong opposition to Trump in recent weeks is enough to encourage Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. This is not to guarantee some more optimism about the Republic. Even if the tariff-induced recession completely weakens Trump’s rating, it’s not the same as the uprising of the people in defending the constitution. And don't be surprised if many of the economic pain voters who shrugged under Biden's shrugged on Trump's mean stubbornness irrelevant aspects.
There may be more Americans than most people, but all democracies have voters that cannot be reached. Since Nigel Farage won local elections last week, the grand grand plan of goodwill for the United Kingdom has won support from supporters, including improving economic growth, as no one has ever thought of it before. Look, half of the Faraji fans can indeed be slightly tempted to return by the government and other actual products. But at some point, liberals will have to accept that Western democracies now have a large number of voters who have lost them indefinitely.
One start may be to look at the popular uprising against Trump in some way. In a poll, Emerson College chose Harris in November to choose his group second only to 0.8 percentage points. Very grateful for Little Pity, that's it.
janan.ganesh@ft.com