Buoyed by blacks and independent voters, as well as urban
dwellers shocked by the Black Lives Matter protest violence raging in some
cities, President Trump’s approval rating has hit a new high, according to a
survey heavy with minority voters.
The latest Zogby Analytics poll just
shared with Secrets had Trump’s approval at 52%. “The president has recorded
his best job approval rating on record,” said pollster Jonathan Zogby.
What’s more, his approval rating among minorities was
solid and, in the case of African Americans, shockingly high. Zogby said 36%
of blacks approve of the president, as do 37% of Hispanics and 35% of Asians.
Approval among independent voters is also up,
to 44%. And “intriguingly,” said Zogby, 23% of Democrats approve of Trump.
It was the latest to show that Trump’s
approval went up during the Democratic National Convention. Rasmussen
Reports had it at 51% at the end of the convention.
In a shock from past election years, Joe Biden got no
convention poll bounce, according to a newly released Reuters/Ipsos
poll.
The Republican National Convention still has two days to
go. Last night's address by first lady Melania Trump won good reviews. Tonight,
Vice President Mike Pence speaks, and Thursday is Trump's night.
Pollsters have been somewhat at a loss to
explain the rise of Trump’s approval ratings, considering that
there has been little positive news to help his standings other than the peace
deal he helped negotiate between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
Zogby, in his analysis, took a stab at the reasoning.
First, he said, his and other polls are confirming that
the nation is nearly evenly divided politically and that despite some showing a
big Biden lead, the race is extremely close. He suggested that the battle is
for the “10%-20%” who haven’t made their minds up on who to vote for and who
likely won’t make up their mind until Election Day, just like in 2016.
“We are as polarized a nation, on a level not
seen since the Civil War,” said Zogby.
He also said that the violence playing out in
cities such as Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Portland, Oregon, are pushing urban
voters to Trump.
“Another factor continuing to help the president’s high
approval rating is a rise in crime in our nation’s biggest cities. Unlike a
year ago, the president is performing well with voters in large cities. It’s
highly likely he is benefiting from the uptick in violence. His law-and-order
message is resonating with urban voters at the moment,” said the analysis.
And he also suggested that Trump’s focus on issues
important to blacks, including the economy, jobs, and criminal justice reform,
has boosted his support among the voting group that traditionally goes all-in
for Democratic presidential candidates.
“The president is also improving his job
approval numbers with African Americans and millennial African Americans, which
is a trend we witnessed last year. Trump has been making the
case that he has done more for African American voters, by way of prison reform
and previously low black unemployment, than Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, both
of whom have been accused by the president for increasing incarceration among
African Americans for generations on nonviolent drug charges,” said Zogby.
