Once upon a time it used to be an anomaly for presidents to dip below a 50% approval rating, a sign that their administrations' best-laid plans had gone awry. For the past few decades, with the rise of hyperpartisanship, it's become the norm to see those numbers lounging around the mid-to-high 40s on a good day. President Donald Trump is no exception — but even as he's floundered overall and his performance on the economy has languished, immigration has been seen as a silver lining for him. It's true that in poll after poll, including the latest NBC News poll, released Sunday, immigration has been Trump's "strongest issue." But it's a mistake to conflate that measurement of relative strength with his being strong on the issue overall. If anything, the polling from the last week shows yet again that, when the spotlight is on the way Trump's deportation campaign is playing out, Americans aren't liking what they're seeing. Democrats should take notice of the opportunity. This is a preview of Hayes Brown's latest column. Read the full column here. |
