MU Poll: How voters view Trump's first weeks back in office
MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Voters are divided over a flurry of actions by President Donald Trump during his first weeks in office with some decisions viewed as more popular than others.
A new national survey by Marquette Law School found policies enacted on immigration and gender are favored by most respondents, while voters expressed concerns about key aspects of the Trump administration economic agenda.
More than 60% favor an executive order requiring federal agencies to recognize only two sexes, male and female, while 37% oppose. There was also broad support for Trump's promise to expand oil and gas production and declaring an emergency at the U.S-Mexico border.
Meanwhile, taking back the Panama Canal, issuing pardons to those who participated in the Jan. 6th attack and renaming the Gulf of Mexico were among the least popular decisions, according to Marquette's poll.
Poll Director Charles Franklin said the scope of the survey is a stark contrast to the first Trump administration.
"In 2017, we thought the administration was very active but by comparison to this year, it was hardly doing anything," Franklin said about the policy decisions they asked Americans about.
On the issue of immigration, the poll showed mixed results. Sixty percent said they back the president's deportation plans for individuals living in the country illegally. However, when asked about deporting individuals without a criminal record, lived and worked in the county, 57% oppose the move.
"It shows there's room for sympathy for immigrants who are here doing jobs, not committing crimes and have families," Franklin said.
The national survey that interviewed 1,018 adults from Jan. 27-Feb. 5 also determined there's some skepticism about tariffs and other economic policies by Trump.
Almost half of respondents believe tariffs would hurt the economy, but 49% of Republicans think tariffs will help.
Only 36% say the president's policies can decrease inflation, while 49% think they will increase costs.
Trump's job approval is also slightly negative, 48% approve and 52% disapprove. While it's not as high as other presidents during their first weeks in office, Trump is outperforming former President Joe Biden's job approval rating during the final months of his term.
The poll's margin of error was +/-3.5 percentage points.