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Donald Trump

Fewer Than Half of Americans Believe the Trump Administration Is ‘Competent’

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
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By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 19, 2018, 10:45 AM ET

More people trust what’s in Bob Woodward’s new book Fear than believe Donald Trump’s administration is “competent.”

In a new Axios survey of 2,173 U.S. adults conducted by SurveyMonkey, 46% of respondents said that the Trump Administration is “competent.” Fifty-five percent of respondents said that they “believe Woodward” and what the famed journalist wrote in his new book on the Trump administration, called Fear.

The survey shows a clear difference in beliefs based on political affiliation. Nearly nine in 10 Republicans, for instance, believe the Trump administration is competent, compared to 13% of Democrats. African-American women were the least likely to believe the Trump administration is competent and those living in rural areas were most likely to see competence in the White House, according to the report.

Opinions on Woodward’s book tell a similar story. More than eight in 10 Democrats “believe Woodward,” but only 30% of Republicans think the book is accurate. African-American women are most likely to believe Fear and people living in rural areas are least likely to see value in it.

The findings come as the Trump administration continues to get hit with reports that the president is unstable and erratic. Indeed, those claims have been made in both Fear and a recently released op-ed in The New York Times from an unidentified “high-ranking official.”

Still, the Axios/SurveyMonkey findings suggest partisanship still reigns supreme. And those who either sided with or are against Trump have not changed their opinions in light of any revelations from the book or op-ed.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
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