New poll shows Americans approve of Trump’s transition by wide margins

President Trump is now enjoying his much-talked-about honeymoon following his election victory, as the vast majority of Americans tell pollsters they approve of the way the president-elect has handled his transition so far.

According to a new poll from CBS News and YouGov, 59 percent of Americans say they approve of staffing and policy statements since the election, while only 41 percent disapprove. The poll was conducted Wednesday through Friday, the day Trump announced his latest slate of Cabinet appointees.

Trump appointees themselves score fairly well from respondents. Of those surveyed, 44 percent said they had a good feeling about Senator Rubio’s nomination for Secretary of State, while only 25 percent said they had a bad feeling. Nearly half — 47 percent — of survey respondents say they approve of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination as secretary of Health and Human Services, while just 34 percent say they disapprove.

Even Reps. Tulsi Gabbard and Pete Hegseth, who were nominated for director of national intelligence and secretary of defense respectively, are doing well among voters. However, both are believed to face an uphill battle in the Senate for confirmation.

As for Ms. Gabbard, 36 percent said she was a good candidate, while only 27 percent said it was a bad choice. As for Mr. Hegseth, 33 percent approve of his leadership of the Pentagon, while 28 percent say they disapprove.

Congressman Matt Gaetz was the only Cabinet nominee to have net negative support from Americans, although his nomination was withdrawn just a week after Trump announced he would run for attorney general.

According to the poll, Americans say Trump’s first priorities should be reducing inflation and starting to deport illegal immigrants. A large majority of Americans—79 percent—say that fighting inflation and lowering commodity prices should be the new administration’s top priority.

Oddly enough, mass deportations also proved quite popular. Shortly after the 2016 election, Democrats and liberals vowed to oppose Trump’s leadership, especially his restrictions on illegal immigration. Now it appears that people of all political persuasions are sympathetic to his ideas.

A total of 45 percent say deportation should be a “high priority,” while 28 percent say it should be a “medium priority.” Among voters under 30, 31 percent say deportation should be at the top of their to-do list. The poll also shows that 20 percent of Democrats say it is a priority. Among black Americans, 31 percent say the same, as do 38 percent of Hispanic Americans.

However, the partisan breakdown in this approval is stark. The poll shows 85 percent of Democrats are either “scared” or “concerned” about what Trump plans to do over the next four years, while only five percent of Republicans say the same.

Trump’s honeymoon could last even longer than usual this year, given how dissatisfied Americans are with the way things are going. Just 36 percent of Americans say things are going very or fairly well, and President Biden’s approval rating is just 39 percent. Only 50 percent say America’s best days are ahead.