More than half of voters say Trump’s D.C. actions are justified — and that he’s doing a better job than Biden

Politics

Despite this majority support in some areas, sentiment of Trump’s policies on inflation, the economy, and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza is staggering behind.

President Donald Trump’s approval rating has steadied at 47%, and his approval compared to former President Joe Biden is on the rise, according to a new Harvard CAPS/Harris poll released this week.

Trump’s overall approval has the highest marks from voters who are Republican, male, white, from rural areas, and between 25 and 44 years old. His approval rating is highest in several areas: fighting crime in U.S. cities (51%), immigration (50%), and returning America to its values (50%). 

“Trump has really solidified his political base and is maintaining every point of it,” said Mark Penn, co-director of the Harvard CAPS/Harris poll.

The majority of voters, at 54%, believe his actions in D.C. are justified and that he’s doing a better job than Biden, a three-point increase from July. 

Despite this majority support in some areas, sentiment of Trump’s policies on inflation, the economy, and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza is staggering behind, the poll found. 

Trump’s D.C. crime emergency

Regarding the nation’s capitol, 55% of voters said they believe the crime level in D.C. is about the same as the level in other parts of the country, and 54% of voters believe Trump’s takeover of D.C. law enforcement is to distract from unpopular policies and personal problems. 

On Aug. 11, Trump announced he would take control of D.C.’s police departments to lower the crime rate. The violent crime rate in D.C. fell 35% from 2023 to 2024, the lowest rate in decades, according to the U.S. District Attorney’s Office. 

On Friday, Trump promised to crack down on violent crime in other major cities, starting with Chicago and then New York. Gov. Maura Healey pushed back against Trump following the announcement, and the state of California is suing the Trump administration for deploying the National Guard there in June. 

Inflation and the economy

While voters believe inflation and the economy are the most important issues, Trump’s approval is lowest regarding the handling inflation and tariffs and trade policy, both at 41%, the poll found.

At a 51-49 margin each, voters are split on whether or not Trump’s policies are making the economy stronger or weaker, respectively, and if they are leading to more or less jobs. 

However, 55% of voters said that Trump’s tariffs are hurting the economy. 

Foreign policy

Regarding foreign policy, Penn noted, “He is working on a lot of initiatives that will take time to pan out — but unless there is peace in one of these foreign conflicts or a clear consensus about the economy, the country will likely remain in a partisan rut.”

Fifty-nine percent and 64% of voters said Trump will not solve the Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war, respectively.

Fifty-two percent of voters are satisfied with Trump’s negotiations regarding Ukraine, a 5% increase from July.

The poll results are from survey results from 2,025 voters sampled between Aug. 20 and 21. The demographics of the voters are then weighed to match the proportions within the larger voter population. Overall, the pollsters are 95% confident that the published percentages are within 2.2% of the true percentage.