Trump's approval rating slips as Americans worry about the economy

WASHINGTON, Feb 19: US President Donald Trump's approval rating has ticked slightly lower in recent days as more Americans worried about the direction of the US economy as the new leader threatens a host of countries with tariffs, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
The six-day poll, which closed on Tuesday, showed 44% of respondents approved of the job Trump is doing as president, down from 45% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted January 24-26. Trump's approval rating stood at 47% in a January 20-21 poll conducted in the hours after the Republican's return to the White House.
The share of Americans who disapprove of his presidency has risen more substantially, to 51% in the latest poll, compared with 41% right after he took office.
Trump enjoys a relatively high rate of approval on his immigration policy, with 47% of respondents backing his approach that has included promises to ramp up deportations of migrants in the country illegally. The share was little changed from January.
But the share of Americans who think the economy is on the wrong track rose to 53% in the latest poll from 43% in the January 24-26 poll. Public approval of Trump's economic stewardship fell to 39% from 43% in the prior poll.A pillar of Trump's political strength has been public belief that his policies will be good for the economy, and his rating on the economy remains significantly higher than the final readings of his predecessor in office, Democrat Joe Biden, who ended his term with a 34% approval rating on the economy. But Trump's rating for the economy is well below the 53% he had in Reuters/Ipsos polling conducted in February 2017, the first full month of his first term as US president.In the latest poll, only 32% of respondents approved of Trump's performance on inflation, a potential early sign of disappointment in the Republican's performance on a core economic issue after several years of rising prices weakened Biden ahead of last year's presidential election. Trump defeated Biden's vice president, Kamala Harris, in the Electoral College and narrowly won the popular vote. —REUTERS