A recent survey discovered that the tumultuous events of Donald Trump’s presidency have faded from memory for many voters. Despite the significant impact of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and the COVID-19 pandemic, these were not the most memorable aspects of Trump’s time in office, according to the survey of 1,000 voters conducted by the New York Times and Siena College.
The majority of voters associated Trump’s behavior, the economy, and immigration with his presidency, while less than 10% primarily linked it to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Jan. 6 riot. The survey revealed that 39% of respondents associated Trump’s presidency with his behavior and leadership, 24% with economic policies, 9% with immigration, 5% with foreign policy, 5% with the Jan. 6 riot, and 4% with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Interestingly, respondents were divided on whether these associations were positive or negative, with 34% viewing them as both positive and negative, 26% seeing them as neither positive nor negative. This outcome was considered a win for Trump in terms of public perception, particularly against the backdrop of the Biden campaign’s efforts to emphasize Trump’s handling of the Jan. 6 riot and the pandemic in the 2024 election.
The survey results indicated that Trump received high marks for his handling of the economy, with nearly two-thirds of voters giving him a positive assessment in that regard. Overall, voters had a more favorable view of the Trump years compared to the Biden years, with 42% considering the Trump era mostly good for America and 33% thinking it was mostly bad. In contrast, only 25% of voters viewed the Biden years as mostly good, while 46% believed they were mostly bad.
