Trump's Popularity Is Rising -- What Will the Resistance Do?

Dec. 6 was a historic day. It was the first time since July 2015 -- since Donald Trump entered presidential politics -- that more Americans have said they have a favorable impression of Trump than an unfavorable one. All that time, from Trump's first Republican primary campaign to the 2016 general election to his years as president to his defeat in 2020 to his post-presidential years to his comeback in 2024 -- in all that time, Trump has been underwater in the RealClearPolitics average of polls measuring favorability and unfavorability. Now, for the first time, he's above the water, in positive poll territory.

In the latest RCP average, 49.4% of those surveyed had a favorable impression of Trump, versus 47.4% who had an unfavorable impression. Compare that to, say, July, when Trump's unfavorable rating was 54.5% and his favorable rating was 42.2%. That's 12 points underwater. Even on Election Day, Trump's unfavorable rating was 51.9 versus 44.9 favorable -- 7 points underwater.

Now he's up. In addition to the ratings on favorability, polls have shown majorities believing Trump will do a good job as president and majorities approving of the way he is handling the transition.