At Six-month Mark, Donald Trump is Most Unpopular US President in 70 Years

New Delhi: A survey conducted by US-based news agencies ABC News and Washington Post has revealed that Donald Trump, who took oath as the 45th President of the United States six months ago, is the most unpopular President in the last 70 years.

According to the survey, only 36% of Americans polled by the ABC/WP survey say they "approve" of the way the US President has been doing his job. A staggering 58%, however, “disapprove” of Trump. The last President who came close to such poor approval ratings after six months was Gerald Ford, who took over as President in 1974 after Richard Nixon resigned amidst corruption allegations. Bill Clinton came closest to Trump in terms of disapproval ratings at six months with 51% Americans showing their displeasure at his work.

In sharp contrast to Trump, Barack Obama, who took office after the 2008 global financial meltdown, at six months had an approval rating of 59%. Even George W Bush, who won a controversial election against former Vice President Al Gore in 2000, had an approval rating of 59% at six months.

Since Trump took office in January 2017, he has had very few scandal-free days at the White House. On the one hand, his son Donald Trump Jr. has been accused of colluding with Russia to get damaging information on his Democratic Party rival Hillary Clinton during the 2016 Presidential Election. On the other hand, his efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, colloquially known as 'Obamacare', with a healthcare plan of his own, has hit roadblocks amidst fears that it will push millions of people off healthcare. According to 'Trumpcare’ critics, the Republican Party’s healthcare plan will hurt his own voter base, the White working class, hardest.

According to the poll, a dismal 34% of Americans trust Trump to be able to negotiate with world leaders on behalf of the US. An even lower 32% trust him to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin. On the healthcare front, 50% of Americans prefer Obama’s healthcare plans while only 24% trust Trump’s plan. Only 17% respondents said they preferred neither or wanted something better.