While Trump obsesses about his ballroom, Americans worry about the cost of living
News and commentary for all Americans from a Florida perspective
By J.C. Bruce
While the economy tops voters’ concerns in public opinion polls, Donald Trump seems more fixated on building a magnificent ballroom, remodeling the capital’s Reflecting Pool, and constructing a triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery.
There seems to be a disconnect here between what the country is worried about and what our commander-in-chief spends his time on.
And a majority of people don’t like it, according to a Washington Post/Ipsos poll released this week.
More than 2,600 people were asked about Trump’s obsessions and how they feel about them. Respondents were asked if they were “Enthusiastic,” “Satisfied,” “Dissatisfied,” or “Upset.”
This will not come as a shock:
Two out of three Americans are either dissatisfied or upset with the president, mirroring overall job approval ratings, which show that 61 percent of Americans give him a thumbs down.
Also unsurprising:
Republicans score Trump higher than Democrats. That said, while nearly 7 in 10 members of the G.O.P. approve of Trump’s vanity projects, 9 out of 10 Democrats do not, reflecting a far more passionate negative reaction.
Maybe a little surprising:
Among Republicans, interestingly, poll respondents identifying themselves as “MAGA” were far less critical than party members overall. While only 11% of MAGA Republicans expressed dissatisfaction, 31 percent of Republicans overall are unhappy. That level of G.O.P. dissent surprised me a little, I confess, seeing as how Republicans usually march in lockstep to Trump’s bidding.
Of course, not everyone polled identifies as a member of either political party, as the number of independent voters has continued to grow. (In Florida, for instance, nearly 25% of voters have no party affiliation.) Among independents in the Post/Ipsos poll, 73% view Trump’s pet projects negatively.
(There’s a link below to the Post’s coverage.)
Thinking about some of Florida’s headline election races, this disdain for Trump’s pet projects should cause some Republican candidates a little heartburn.
For instance, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds of Naples, who is running in the Aug. 18 primary for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, is heavily dependent on Trump’s coattails for his lead in the polls and fundraising. He owes his standing almost entirely to Trump’s endorsement.
Similarly, Ashley Moody, appointed to fill former U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio’s Senate seat, will face aggressive competition in November from one of two Democratic primary frontrunners—Alex Vindman or Angie Nixon. Moody’s claim to fame hinges on being an obedient Trump sycophant.
Trump in the dumps is not the best news for either candidate.
Meanwhile, according to Gallup polls, ballrooms and arches and reflecting pools are not voters’ top concerns.
Topping the list, to no surprise, are the economy and the cost of living, including gasoline prices, corporate corruption, the trade deficit, and wages.
When asked about non-economic problems, the number one item on a long list was “the government and poor leadership.”
This is just one person’s opinion, of course, but I think it would be fair to say that when the people who voted you into office think you should be paying more attention to the cost of living than gold-plated ballrooms, that could qualify as “poor leadership.”
Related:
We asked 2,600 Americans about Trump’s ballroom, pool and arch projects.
Gallup: Most important problem
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Our democracy as we’ve known it for 250 years is at risk. To save it, we will need a groundswell of support from voters in the coming midterm election.
The purpose of this newsletter—and the accompanying Tropic Press website—is to encourage that engagement.
Currently, Tropic Press is reaching more than 700,000 subscribers in Florida and elsewhere, which is great, but there are literally millions of Florida Democrats and independents we are not reaching yet.
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Thanks.
J.C. Bruce
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