• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Donald Trump

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

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
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
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Meta’s threat to quit New Mexico ‘is showing the world how little it cares about child safety,’ AG says
LawMeta
Meta’s threat to quit New Mexico ‘is showing the world how little it cares about child safety,’ AG says
By Catherina GioinoApril 30, 2026
1 minute ago
Moreno gestures with his hand
PoliticsU.S. Senate
A ‘no-brainer’: Senate unanimously bans members and staff from using prediction markets
By Mary Clare Jalonick and The Associated PressApril 30, 2026
51 minutes ago
Kevin Warsh, nominee for chairman of the Federal Reserve.
BankingFederal Reserve
Former Fed economist raises alarm on Warsh after historically partisan vote: ‘this is not normal is going to be a theme’
By Eva RoytburgApril 30, 2026
1 hour ago
Landry speaks a podium wearing a white cowboy hat.
PoliticsSupreme Court
Two days before early voting starts, Louisiana suspends its congressional primaries after SCOTUS knocks majority-minority districts
By Sara Cline, Jack Brook, David A. Lieb and The Associated PressApril 30, 2026
1 hour ago
A banner depicting portraits of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei
PoliticsIran
Iranian supreme leader says the only place Americans belong in the Gulf is ‘at the bottom of its waters’
By Jon Gambrell, Aamer Madhani and The Associated PressApril 30, 2026
1 hour ago
Mike Johnson speaks at a podium.
PoliticsDepartment of Homeland Security
After warnings that funding could ‘run out’ for TSA workers, House approves bill to fund DHS, leaves out ICE
By Lisa Mascaro and The Associated PressApril 30, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne—whose stake would be worth up to $400 billion had he not sold it in 1976—says that at 91, he has no regrets
By Preston ForeApril 27, 2026
3 days ago
Google Cloud revenue is now 18% of Alphabet's business. Is this the beginning of the end of Google's search identity?
Big Tech
Google Cloud revenue is now 18% of Alphabet's business. Is this the beginning of the end of Google's search identity?
By Alexei OreskovicApril 29, 2026
20 hours ago
‘They left me no choice’: Powell isn’t going anywhere—blocking Trump from another Fed appointee
Banking
‘They left me no choice’: Powell isn’t going anywhere—blocking Trump from another Fed appointee
By Eva RoytburgApril 29, 2026
1 day ago
Jamie Dimon gets candid about national debt: ‘There will be a bond crisis, and then we’ll have to deal with it’
Economy
Jamie Dimon gets candid about national debt: ‘There will be a bond crisis, and then we’ll have to deal with it’
By Eleanor PringleApril 29, 2026
1 day ago
‘The cost of compute is far beyond the costs of the employees’: Nvidia executive says right now AI is more expensive than paying human workers
AI
‘The cost of compute is far beyond the costs of the employees’: Nvidia executive says right now AI is more expensive than paying human workers
By Sasha RogelbergApril 28, 2026
3 days ago
With no end in sight, Trump considers new options in Iran war—including the ‘Dark Eagle’ hypersonic missile
Big Tech
With no end in sight, Trump considers new options in Iran war—including the ‘Dark Eagle’ hypersonic missile
By Jim EdwardsApril 30, 2026
12 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.