May 22, 2017

Key Takeaways from May 2017 NBC/WSJ Survey

In a survey conducted before reports that Donald Trump shared classified information with Russian officials and before the naming of Robert Mueller as Special Counsel, President Trump’s job rating dipped below 40%. Nearly all (93%) Americans report that they have heard about Donald Trump’s decision to fire FBI Director James Comey. Just 29% approve of Trump’s decision to fire Comey, and Americans are five times as likely to say that Trump’s decision has made them less rather than more favorable toward the job that he is doing as president (30% to 6%). Just 13% report that they have gained confidence in Donald Trump as president due to the Trump administration’s handling of allegations of campaign and administration officials’ contacts with Russia. A strong majority (65%) of Americans have a great deal or some confidence in the FBI’s ability to conduct a fair and impartial investigation into Russia’s involvement in the 2016 presidential election, while 40% report having confidence in Congress to do so. By 78% to 15%, Americans prefer an investigation led by an independent commission or a special prosecutor to an investigation led by Congress. On another subject, when asked about the healthcare legislation recently passed by the House of Representatives and supported by Donald Trump, just 23% say this is a good idea, while 48% say it is a bad idea, including 43% who feel this way strongly.

Click here for the poll’s topline results.