The country remains polarised, with opinions about Trump’s presidency almost evenly split. The survey found that roughly the same number of respondents expressed optimism about the next four years as those who felt pessimistic.
A significant number of Americans support President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed policies on immigration and tariffs, yet they remain sceptical of him as an individual, according to a new survey conducted by The New York Times/Ipsos and released on Saturday.
The poll revealed that 87 per cent of respondents support deporting illegal immigrants in the US who have a criminal record, a key promise Trump made during his 2024 campaign to enforce stricter immigration measures. Additionally, 55 per cent of those surveyed support deporting all immigrants living in the US illegally, while 42 per cent opposed such a move.
According to the latest government estimates, the undocumented population stood at 11 million in 2022. However, demographers believe the current number has risen to between 13 million and 14 million.
When it comes to ending birthright citizenship for children born to immigrants residing in the US illegally, support was less pronounced. Only 41 per cent of respondents favoured the initiative, while a majority of 55 per cent opposed it.
Views on immigration’s overall impact on the country remain split. The poll found that 41 per cent of Americans consider immigrants a “burden,” while 56 per cent believe they “strengthen our country.”
Economic Concerns and Tariffs
Economic inequality emerged as a major concern among respondents, with 68 per cent agreeing that the US economic system “unfairly favours the wealthy.” In contrast, only 30 per cent believe the system is “generally fair” to most Americans.
One of Trump’s major campaign promises was to impose tariffs on key trading partners, including Canada, Mexico, and China, to pressure them into strengthening their border security and combating fentanyl trafficking. Trump has proposed a 25 per cent tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada and a 10 per cent tariff on Chinese goods.
However, opinions on tariffs remain divided. Around 45 per cent of those surveyed said they “strongly” or “somewhat” support increasing tariffs on imports from Mexico and China, while 50 per cent expressed opposition. Despite the mixed views, a significant majority – 81 per cent – believe Trump will follow through on his tariff promises.
Concerns About Trump’s Leadership
Despite his policy proposals garnering support, Americans remain divided on Trump’s leadership. According to the survey, 27 per cent of respondents cited concerns about his character, behaviour, and criminal convictions as major worries for his second term. Concerns about favouritism, abuse of power, and corruption ranked second at 13 per cent.
The country remains polarised, with opinions about Trump’s presidency almost evenly split. The survey found that roughly the same number of respondents expressed optimism about the next four years as those who felt pessimistic. Trump’s favourability rating, based on an average of polls from FiveThirtyEight.com, has hovered just below 50 per cent – mirroring his share of the popular vote in the 2024 election.
The findings of The New York Times/Ipsos survey underscore the ongoing divisions within the country over Trump’s leadership. While many Americans support his policy initiatives on immigration and trade, concerns about his character and governance style persist. The poll, conducted from January 2-10 with 2,128 respondents, carries a margin of error of 2.6 percentage points.
