Special Poll
About half of U.S. adults expressed being “not at all confident” in President-elect Trump’s ability to appoint qualified individuals to his administration, according to an AP-NORC poll released on Friday. This skepticism casts doubt on Trump’s claim of having a mandate from voters as he finalizes Cabinet appointments and refines his policy proposals.
Only three in ten Americans reported feeling “extremely” or “very” confident in Trump’s capacity to select qualified Cabinet members. Respondents shared a similarly low level of confidence in his ability to manage government spending and handle other key presidential responsibilities, such as overseeing the military and running the White House effectively.
Democrats and independents expressed the least confidence in Trump’s abilities. Approximately three-quarters of them stated they were “not at all confident” in his capacity to manage the White House, government, or military, or to appoint competent Cabinet members.
Republicans, on the other hand, showed higher levels of confidence in Trump, though not uniformly. Around six in ten Republicans reported feeling “extremely” or “very” confident in Trump’s Cabinet appointments and his ability to manage the White House, military, and government spending.
The poll was conducted as Trump was in the process of completing most of his Cabinet selections, which included several figures loyal to his “Make America Great Again” agenda, along with individuals tied to Fox News. Some of these appointments face significant challenges in obtaining confirmation.
This survey mirrors previous findings about public confidence in President Biden’s ability to fulfill similar responsibilities. After Biden took office, confidence in his Cabinet appointments and White House management was higher than in his handling of the military or government spending. For Trump, however, confidence levels appear more consistently low across all tasks.