Donald Trump is three weeks into his second term, and he is enjoying more support than ever before.
The first polling of his presidency was released this week and shows more than 50 percent of the country approves of his time in office thus far, and some 70 percent say he is doing what he said he would do.
On Tuesday’s show, Megyn was joined by National Review’sRich Lowry and Charles C.W. Cooke to discuss the data and the disconnect it exposes between the left and the American public.
The Data
A new CBS News/YouGov poll found Trump is favored by a majority of the country amid “energetic” and “effective” opening weeks of his second term. The president has a 53 percent approval and was described as “tough” (69 percent), “energetic” (63 percent), “focused” (60 percent), and “effective” (58 percent) by respondents.
A closer look at the numbers reveals Trump is enjoying a 94 percent approval rating among Republicans and 49 percent among independents. The male/female split is 60 percent to 47 percent, but it is the age demographic data that Megyn found particularly interesting. Some 55 percent of people under 30 approve of Trump’s work so far, a cohort that does not typically side with the GOP.
“Among the highest approval ratings are with ages 18 to 29… because they know the system doesn’t work for them. They don’t feel optimistic about their future,” Megyn noted. “And so he is up 10 with that group.”
The pace of the second Trump administration was not lost on participants, with 90 percent saying the president is doing “as much” or “more” than they expected in his first few weeks in office. Among those who feel Trump is overdelivering, 61 percent say they “mostly like” what he is doing. And regardless of whether you love him or hate him, 70 percent of people said Trump is doing what he promised to do during his campaign.
Digging into specific issues, 59 percent approve of the Trump administration’s plan to deport illegal immigrants, 51 percent believe Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOG) should have “a lot” or “some” influence over government operations and spending, and 61 percent are on board with Trump’s quest to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
What It Shows
Given what the polling shows, Megyn said it is fascinating to see how the left has responded to Trump’s agenda. “The left decided not to melt down over DEI being removed from all these federal agencies… They are definitely not upset about what is happening with illegal immigration… They are not upset about removing boys from girls sports,” she explained. “What the left has decided to fight over is foreign aid and firing of bureaucrats.”
The administration, Megyn added, is not mad about that particular focus. “That had the Trump team, when I saw them in their Super Bowl box, absolutely jubilant,” she shared.
Lowry said the Democrats have boxed themselves in. “Given the alternatives, what would you fight on? Would you really want to fight on men competing in female sports, or would you want to fight on foreign aid? I don’t think either are great fights,” he noted. “The last three weeks have been the best three weeks the right has had in the culture war in 50 years.”
In his view, that is thanks to the fact that Trump is targeting issues that there was already “backlash against” – like radical gender ideology and DEI – and giving the private sector permission to do the same. “His election itself was a permission slip for institutions like Meta to say, ‘We don’t like this woke ideology. It’s kind of forced on us on us. We don’t want it anymore,'” Lowry explained. “And he is using the hook of federal funding to turn some of this stuff around.”
Ultimately, Lowry said Trump is acting on the mandate he believes he was given. “He took a small ‘d’ democratic approach to this election with his, ‘I got to tell people what I want to do, and then, if they approve it and elect me, I’m going to do it,'” he concluded. “And even if, at the margins, people aren’t excited about everything, they do appreciate that directness and that kind of approach.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Cooke and Lowry by tuning in to episode 1,005 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.