Americans are giving the incoming Trump administration the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the president-elect’s spate of nominations for top positions.
Polling conducted by Echelon Insights and reported by Puck News reveals that the same majority of Americans who propelled President-elect Donald Trump to a second term feel positive about the people he plans to surround himself with. The goodwill may translate into good news for Matt Gaetz, Pete Hegseth, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., all among his most controversial appointments to date. Each much survive a grueling approval process by U.S. Senate Republicans who, although in control, have signaled they are cool to the idea of approving some nominees in particular.
A pattern emerges among those polled between November 14th and 18th: those who trust in Trump also believe his nominees are up for their respective jobs. Of them, 53% approve of the way Trump is handling his transition while only 40% disapprove. The paradox is obvious for a man with historically high disapproval ratings who is now being given a grace period by Americans who above all else want to see him succeed. Fifty-eight percent of respondents agreed with the statement that “the country will start to head in a better direction in 2025″ while only 38% said the opposite. Just 30% said they feel the country is on the right track but is still a tick up from the final pre-election poll conducted by Echelon.
“Echelon polled registered voters from November 14-18, just as news cycles were popping off with Trump’s cabinet announcements, and found that 53 percent of voters approve of the way Trump is handling the transition. Only 40 percent of voters disapproved.” https://t.co/zr7MwgcThC
— Katherine Doyle (@katiadoyl) November 19, 2024
The good news for Trump’s cabinet picks is that most Americans don’t have strong opinions about them, or do not know them at all. Kennedy, already tarnished by members of his own Democratic Party and the healthcare community, is seen favorably by 46% of poll respondents while 41% view him unfavorably. Elon Musk, who is expected to head up a new Department of Government Efficiency, is still above water with a 46% approval rating compared to a 43% disapproval rating. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance carries similar numbers.
Pluralities of Americans said they do not know enough about most of Trump’s appointments to form an opinion. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and Hegseth, a veteran and Fox News anchor, all fall into that category. Noem has been tapped to lead the Department of Homeland Security; Stefanik will ostensibly serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; and Hegseth would become defense secretary.
It is Gaetz, however, who trails the pack. Only 22% of voters have a positive opinion of him compared to 35% who view him negatively, underscoring how difficult and politically expensive it will be for Trump to push for him during Senate confirmation hearings. Republican senators such as Thom Tillis (R-NC), facing perilous reelection bids in 2026, are pleading their case that a vote on Gaetz will dampen their own popularity back home.
At the same time, others are whispering to Trump’s advisors that his first 100 days could be hamstrung by a protracted fight that isn’t necessary. The way President-elect Trump views it, allies say, is a fight that needs to happen, and Gaetz is the man to dismantle a weaponized Justice Department.
“That was kind of the whole conversation,” Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) told Politico, adding Trump is asking senators to give Gaetz a “shot.” “He’s the disruptor that the department needs. That’s the bottom line. And he doesn’t know that anybody else really will be.”
