Donald Trump, who once exited the political stage as the controversial 45th president, has made a remarkable comeback to be inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States. This time, he steps into office with renewed vigor, supported by a seasoned team of dedicated loyalists. These individuals are the stalwart strategists who remained by his side following his election defeat, enduring a two-year hiatus from the political spotlight.
Throughout this time, Trump’s circle of allies has expanded significantly, even among media giants and Silicon Valley tech leaders with whom he once had contentious relationships. Despite surviving a close call with an assassination attempt, dealing with four criminal cases, and enduring a felony conviction, Trump has emerged victorious as the first Republican in two decades to secure a greater share of the popular vote than his opponent. His approval ratings have only increased since the election, bolstered by his performance as president-elect.
A recent poll conducted by DailyMail.com and J.L. Partners reveals that voters perceive Trump as having grown into the presidential role, with 39 percent of respondents reporting a more favorable impression of the 78-year-old former real estate mogul over the past two months. On Monday, a global audience will witness Trump taking the oath of office, placing his hand on two significant Bibles: the one used by Abraham Lincoln in 1861 and another gifted to him by his mother. These are the same Bibles from his 2017 inauguration, though Trump himself has evolved significantly since his unexpected victory over Hillary Clinton, now entering the White House with a more prepared and cohesive team.
Back then half his core team was parachuted in from Wall Street or the Republican establishment. This time, Trump has drawn from a Republican Party remade in his own image during the past eight years and helmed by Susie Wiles, a seasoned chief of staff who has so far managed to maintain the sort of discipline that was absent in his first term. Doubters have been silenced or brought into the fold.
The tech barons seated among the VVIPs at the inauguration include Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder who has stood down his factchecking operations, and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, who angered readers and staff at his Washington Post newspaper by refusing to endorse Kamala Harris in the election. In the meantime, Trump’s overall approval rating has ticked up from 45 percent to 48 percent during the past month, according to our poll. It is still low compared with other presidential transitions. But it represents a marked contrast with the chaos and turmoil of Trump’s first election win. James Johnson, co-founder of J.L. Partners, said the difference was clear.
‘Rather than react with disgust and outrage, voters on the other side and in the middle are quite happy to give Donald Trump a chance,’ he said. ‘This could be because of how Trump has conducted himself – people are telling us they think he is acting in a more presidential manner, singling out for example his attendance at Jimmy Carter’s funeral. ‘But it could also be an exhaustion effect: our focus groups show people are sick of shrill criticism of Trump from partisan outlets. And they have also made it through four years of Trump before without the roof falling in.’ When asked to sum up why they had a more favorable view of Trump now, some respondents said he seemed more presidential. ‘He’s being gracious to the former presidents he meets with,’ said one, after Trump met his counterparts at the funeral for Carter. ‘I’m not sure why,’ said another respondent whose view of Trump had improved. ‘Maybe he’s trying to be more “Presidential”.’
A word cloud of responses was dominated by the terms: America, country and president. Other pollsters have noted a similar phenomenon, and suggested that part of Trump’s newfound appeal with some voters lay in his contrast with Biden, who at the age of 82 has sunk into obscurity, avoiding contacts with reporters for example, during the final days of his presidency. It may also be that voters have short memories, and the high inflation of the Biden post-pandemic years has blotted out recollections of protests and chaos under Trump.
In contrast, those who said their view had worsened included the word ‘felon’ in their responses, reflecting his conviction in a New York court on charges of business fraud for hiding a hush money payment to adult star Stormy Daniels. ‘The people he has appointed to his cabinet are corrupt and morally bankrupt,’ said one. The word cloud also included ‘Greenland’ and ‘Canada.’ Trump has proposed taking over both territories for national security reasons.
‘Threatening Canada, Greenland and Panama is the worst type of bullying,’ said one respondent, referring as well to his suggestion that the U.S. should reclaim the Panama Canal. Opponents said Trump’s rating would quickly fall. ‘The president-elect should enjoy his honeymoon,’ said Democratic strategist Brad Bannon, ‘because my prediction is that it won’t last long. ‘I think once he becomes president, and once we start seeing some of his extremist presidential campaign promises come into reality then people will turn against him again.’
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