Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump’s approval rating rose slightly this month, lifted by gains among independents and moderates, according to a new CBS News/YouGov survey.
The poll, released Sunday, found that 44 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s job performance, compared with 42 percent in July.
Moderate voters contributed to the increase, with 36 percent saying they approve of Trump’s job performance, up from 34 percent in July. Support among self-identified liberals and conservatives remained steady at 5 percent and 86 percent.
When broken down by party, independents showed the sharpest change, rising from 32 percent in July to 37 percent in September. Republican support increased 2 points to 91 percent, while Democrats’ support dipped to 4 percent, down one point from July.
Asked what issues matter most in evaluating the Trump administration, 30 percent of respondents cited “immigration, deportation, and border policies.” Another 25 percent pointed to “the economy and inflation prices,” while 17 percent said “government agencies, programs and spending” should be the primary measure.
The survey of 2,385 U.S. adults was conducted from September 3 to 5 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
Trump’s numbers follow strong support for his immigration agenda, according to a new Harvard-Harris Poll conducted from July 6 to 8.
Sixty percent of registered voters said they support Trump’s actions to close the southern border, including 34 percent of Democrats and 89 percent of Republicans. The findings come as the administration highlights record-setting deportation numbers and increased enforcement efforts in its ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration.
“President Trump is keeping his promises to secure the border and deport criminal illegal aliens — and the American people are loving it,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement.
Three out of four voters support the administration’s efforts to remove individuals in the country illegally who have committed crimes. That includes 59 percent of Democrats and 93 percent of Republicans.
Deportation statistics released by the Department of Homeland Security show that more than 239,000 illegal aliens were removed between Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20 and June 30. That averages about 47,000 deportations per month, a figure that surpasses any monthly rate under previous administrations.
