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A Month Into Office, Trump's Job Approval Rating a Historic Low

Not a reason for self-congratulation: a new poll finds that Donald Trump is the only president to have a start of his first term with a net negative approval rating. (Photo: Michael Vadon/flickr/cc)

A Month Into Office, Trump's Job Approval Rating a Historic Low

He's the only president in modern polling to have net negative rating

President Donald Trump's job approval rating is a mere 44 percent, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll published Sunday finds, further documenting the skepticism with which the public views the former reality TV star's short time in the White House.

In fact, he has "the lowest approval ratings of any new chief executive in modern American history," CNBCwrites.

Forty-eight percent say they disapprove of Trump's performance as president, and 32 percent said his performance thus far shows he's not up to being president.

And while 63 percent of Republicans say he's off to a great start, NBC notes that Trump "is the only president in the history of modern polling to begin his first term with a net negative approval rating."

His net negative rating is -4 percent. His predecessor, in contrast, started off with a net positive 34 percent, while George H.W. Bush had a net positive of 45 percent.

The results of the poll, conducted February 18-22, come two days before Trump makes his first address to Congress.

The speech, the Associated Presswrites, gives Trump the chance "to reframe his presidency after a chaotic opening in which he's rattled world leaders, railed against leaked information, engaged in open warfare with the press, and seen his signature effort to halt some immigration thwarted by the courts."

In what Politicodescribes as an effort "to troll the new president in prime time," many Democrats will be bringing immigrants as their guests to the event.

Iranian graduate student Sara Yarjani, who was affected by Trump's now-halted travel ban, will be the guest of Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.). "Mr. Trump needs to see the people he has hurt," Chu said.

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