Public more optimistic about Trump policies now than after 2016 win

NEWS AND OPINION:

A majority of Americans are optimistic about a second term for President-elect Donald Trump.

“Just over half (53%) the public feels optimistic about the policies Trump will pursue over the next few years, while 45% are pessimistic. These overall results are similar to public expectations when Trump was about to start his first term in 2017 (50% optimistic and 43% pessimistic), but there has been a notable shift in intensity among the president-elect’s fellow partisans,” according to a new poll from Monmouth University released Tuesday.

“Nearly all Republicans (97%) are optimistic about Trump’s agenda, as they were eight years ago, but 76% now report being very optimistic. This is a big jump from 53% of Republicans who felt very optimistic prior to Trump taking office in 2017. Among other partisan groups, 52% of independents feel at least somewhat optimistic about Trump’s policies over the next few years (50% in 2017), while just 10% of Democrats feel the same (18% in 2017),” the poll analysis said.

“Republicans are even more enthusiastic about a second Trump term than they were the first time around. They are particularly looking forward to him following through on the plans he promised,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.

“It should come as no surprise there is a stark partisan divide on the Trump agenda. The real question is how these policies will affect American families, especially among those who voted for Trump in 2024,” Mr. Murray said.

See the complete numbers in the Poll du Jour at the column’s end.

’AMERICA IS PERSONAL TO ME’

Rep. Brian Mast is the incoming chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee — and he appears ready to roll, with plans in place.

“I would say, number one, America is personal to me. I damn near gave my life for this place. So, I’m going to be emotionally invested,” the Florida Republican said Tuesday on Fox News Channel’s “America’s Newsroom.” 

“Everybody else should be as well — because if Democrats are trying to justify taking 30% out of somebody’s paycheck and then sending it to Ecuador to do a drag show as diplomacy, masquerade as diplomacy, or they’re taking half a million dollars and sending it to Nepal and saying, ’well, we’re helping them expand atheism.’ I could give you a hundred examples,” Mr. Mast said.

“If they don’t want to be bipartisan in cutting those things because they were putting them forward, then it’s not going to be bipartisan. So be it. But we’re not going to have any American taxpayer have to wonder why they gave their money to the government and it went to do things like that,” he said.

“I think the conversation is always this. Number one, how does the diplomacy that we’re doing put America first, right? Does a dollar and a diplomat help to put America in the right place? And you get to that point by asking, what does America need from the country or region? Do we get what we’re needing from that country or region? Because if we’re not, then we’re being played for suckers. And President Trump does not want America to ever be played for a sucker, and nor do I,” the lawmaker said.

Now in his fourth term of office, Mr. Mast served the Army for 12 years, earning medals including the Bronze Star, the Army Commendation for Valor, the Purple Heart and the Defense Meritorious Service.

While deployed in Afghanistan, he worked as a bomb disposal expert under the elite Joint Special Operations Command. The last roadside bomb that he found resulted in catastrophic injuries, including the loss of both legs.

THE PERFECT CLAUSE

Macy’s — one of New York’s iconic shopping destinations — is a cultural force to be reckoned with at holiday time.

“In case you’ve never had the pleasure of a visit, Santaland is the 13,000-square-foot seasonal installation at Macy’s Herald Square flagship that welcomes some 200,000 people a year. Young, old and in between, with children or solo, they all line up to meet the man in red,” wrote Robert Klara, senior editor of brands at Adweek.

“Which you can do at most any mall, so what’s different here? Well, investment, for one. While lots of stores will set up velvet ropes and a plywood throne, Macy’s spread for Mr. Claus would give Disney a run for its money. Santaland boasts human-sized nutcrackers, a toy workshop, an illuminated rainbow bridge and a serious toy train layout — 11 scenes in all, nestled inside of an enchanted forest of 165 trees with 100,000 lights. (Oh, and there’s a Santa.) While the store might refer to it as the ‘Magic of Macy’s,’ what we’re really talking about is marketing,” Mr. Klara said.

“Santaland is a tour de force of differentiation, a feature that not only spikes foot traffic into the store but turns it into a genuine holiday destination. You’ll never get that at an Amazon distribution center. Retail theater is what gets our store traffic,” Sharon Otterman, Macy’s chief marketing officer, said in an interview with Adweek.

“Yes, we have great brands, we have great assortment, we’ll give customers a great value — but we also have an experience that people want to have with us,” she said.

POLL DU JOUR

• 35% of U.S. adults feel “very optimistic” about the policies President-elect Donald Trump will pursue in the next few years.

• 64% of conservatives, 25% of moderates and 12% of liberals agree.

• 18% overall feel “somewhat optimistic” about the policies he will pursue.

• 24% of conservatives, 19% of moderates and 6% of liberals agree.

• 11% feel “somewhat pessimistic” about the policies he will pursue.

• 2% of conservatives, 15% of moderates and 16% liberals agree.

• 34% overall feel “very pessimistic” about the policies he will pursue.

• 7% of conservatives, 39% of moderates and 63% of liberals agree.

• 3% don’t know how they feel.

• 3% of conservatives, 3% of moderates and 2% of liberals agree.

SOURCE: A Monmouth University poll of 1,006 U.S. adults conducted online and by telephone Dec. 5-10.

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