Three weeks after Election Day, a new CBS News/YouGov poll finds a majority of Americans are either happy or satisfied that Donald Trump won the presidency and are excited or optimistic about what he will do in office.
Conducted Nov. 19-22, the poll says 59% of respondents approve of Trump’s handling of his transition into a second term while 41% disapprove.
Republicans are most enthusiastic about Trump’s return to office, with 54% saying they’re excited and 41% being optimistic. Democrats are most worried, with 35% saying they’re concerned and 50% being scared. Despite their fears, 44% say they are not motivated to oppose him.
Following an election in which inflation and the overall economy loomed large, the poll finds more Americans (42%) now rate the economy as good compared with 36% who said so in October. With less than two weeks to go until Trump is sworn in, 44% of respondents think the president-elect will make food and grocery prices go down, 35% say he’ll make them go up, and 21% don’t see him having any effect on what they pay at the supermarket.
Americans are almost evenly split on whether the U.S. should impose tariffs on imported goods, with 52% favoring their use and 48% opposing them.
Trump’s “mass deportation” plan for undocumented immigrants is approved by 57% of those surveyed, with 43% disapproving. Immigration and border patrol agencies are the preferred agency (82%) to carry out deportations, followed by federal law enforcement agencies (64%) and the U.S. military (40%).
Americans mostly approve of Trump’s Cabinet picks, with 44% saying Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is a good choice for Secretary of State and 47% approving of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
Trump’s choice of Fox News host Peter Hegseth as Secretary of Defense has 33% approval as a good choice, with 28% saying he is not a good pick. Former Democratic presidential contender Tulsi Gabbard is also seen as a good choice for intelligence chief by just 36% of respondents, with 27% saying she is not a good pick.
The most important quality for Trump appointees is candidates who will speak their minds (89%), followed by having experience in the field or agency they will run (86%), experience in Washington (64%) and loyalty to Trump (51%), according to the survey.
As Trump considers confirming his appointees without Senate approval, the poll finds 76% of Americans would like the Senate to hold confirmation hearings.