Local pedestrians in New York City might recall Mayor Ed Koch checking in asking, ‘How’m I doin’?’ It seems that most folks around America answer the same question in favor of President Donald Trump. Despite a minor dip after announcing tariffs tagged as ‘Liberation Day’ on the 2nd of April, his endorsement ratio fairly quickly regained its traction, hovering just under the 50% level. This approval rating is comparable to how Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush were acknowledged around the identical period during their second stints. Similarly, this rating exceeds any Trump saw during his first term.
A considerable number of citizens hold an unorthodox perception of Trump’s top-tier appointments. Moreover, the president’s exceptional mode of expression, often employing capital letters, diverges from the traditional presidential norms. However, considering our democratic system is increasingly becoming folksy, it seems tongue-in-cheek language could be becoming the norm and accepted by the masses as it emphasizes a more down-to-earth approach.
His unique appointments, despite criticisms, could reflect a strategy based more on shaping the larger public’s behavior rather than micro-managing organizations. A notable point he outlined was that the recruitment statistics for the Army and Navy for fiscal years 2022 and 2023 were nearly 25% below their respective targets. Responding to this, the Army increased its recruiting goal from 55,000 to 61,000 and surprisingly surpassed this new target by May, four months ahead of the planned finish line. It is a matter of debate whether this is fortunate coincidence, other influencing factors, or a testament to the impact of Trump’s stirring rhetoric.
Let’s consider trade, another area where Trump’s strategies and speeches have had likely influence. Trump had never shied away from expressing his affection for tariffs while intending to curtail trade activities with China. The recent reports suggested a significant decrease in China’s exports to America in May, reaching the lowest since February 2020, a month heavily impacted by COVID-19. This shift indicates that numerous American and Chinese traders have reconsidered their positions in response to Trump’s policy outline.
In parallel, Trump’s tenure also observed a surprising 139,000 spike in employment in the USA for May. Notably, this happened amid a downsizing of nearly 60,000 federal jobs since the beginning of the year. Furthermore, the pool of foreign-born labor saw a substantial decline, oscillating between 773,000 and a million from March onwards. Trump’s policy rhetoric appears to promote ‘self-deportation,’ further amplifying the changes ongoing within the employment rates.
LA’s ‘sanctuary city’ mayor’s tolerance of riots triggered a response from Trump, leading to him calling upon the California National Guard and the Marine Corps. The authority to mobilize these forces, especially when state-level law enforcement proves ineffective, falls well within his constitutional powers. Reinforcing this, an important 2012 Supreme Court ruling reminds us that federal immigration laws hold precedence over contradicting state rulings.
The public seems to be generally appreciative of Trump’s maneuvers. Indeed, with over eight years of diverse policy adventures contrasted against Democratic plans, it’s turning out that voters tend to give their nod to Trump’s high-score achievements. Accordingly, voters are starting to question some of the previously uncontested claims, such as the alleged fitness of Joe Biden or the ‘mostly peaceful’ character of the LA rioters.
In the face of Democratic governors resisting federal jurisdiction, history has endorsed acts like Eisenhower’s in 1957 or Lyndon Johnson’s in 1965. When they sent in federal forces to maintain law and order over states like Arkansas and Alabama, they had the backing of the majority of constituents. Much like those times, it appears that voters today are keen on rebuffing any attempt by the Californian Democrats to challenge federal edicts.
Regarding immigration, while there may be no official polls regarding the opinions of immigrants due to their wariness of public visibility, the job market data suggests a shift. A considerable number of immigrants appear to find ‘self-deportation’ as a viable option over waiting to be legally deported.
So, to echo Mayor Koch’s question but in perspective of President Trump’s performance, ‘How’s Trump doin’?’ Looks like he’s doing perhaps a bit better than his naysayers would care to accept.