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Wednesday, April 17, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Poll: ‘Idiot,’ ‘Liar’ Most Common Words Used to Describe Trump

Pollsters asked American voters to describe President Donald Trump in one word, and according to the new poll the most respondents agreed on the word “idiot.”

(CN) – Pollsters asked American voters to describe President Donald Trump in one word, and according to the new poll the most respondents agreed on the word “idiot.”

Quinnipiac University’s poll, released Tuesday, asked respondents to say the first word that came to mind when they thought of Trump. Out of the people surveyed in a phone poll, 53 said “idiot,” 44 said “liar” and 36 people used the word “incompetent” to describe the president.

The open-ended question was asked as part of a presidential approval survey of American voters. Trump still retains a high disapproval rating of 57 percent. Just 37 percent of voters approve of the job he’s doing.

“President Donald Trump is known for hurling insults and he’s getting slammed right back,” Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, said in a written statement. “‘Idiot’ is just one of a string of insults thrown his way by American voters.”

In the interest of fairness, the pollster noted 35 respondents called the president “strong” – though 26 used the word “asshole.” Of the 48 words used by five or more respondents, 30 are negative, the pollster said.

Still, Trump has not reached the record for lowest approval rating of a sitting president. That honor goes to Harry Truman in February 1952, with a 22 percent approval rating in a Gallup poll. The low popularity of the Korean War and a weak post-World War II economy helped sink his numbers.

Trump, however, does have the record for the lowest approval ratings as an average. And when it comes to whether Trump unites or divides the nation, 62 percent of voters said they believe the president is dividing the country. And 52 percent said they feel less safe having Trump as president.

The poll was taken during and shortly after Trump said the United States would formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a move Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said would endanger the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.

Categories / National, Politics

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