New Poll Shows How Americans Feel About Trump’s Appointments

Rachel Acenas
By Rachel Acenas
November 29, 2024Donald Trump
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New Poll Shows How Americans Feel About Trump’s Appointments
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a House Republicans Conference meeting at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Nov. 13, 2024. (Allison Robert/Getty Images)

A new survey reveals how Americans feel about President-elect Donald Trump’s appointments in his new administration.

The new poll by the Economist/YouGov was conducted Nov. 23-26 among 1,590 U.S. adult citizens, with a margin of error of approximately 3.2 percent.

The survey asked respondents if they have a favorable or unfavorable view of each of Trump’s selections so far.

Fifty percent of survey participants reported that they have a favorable view of Elon Musk, Trump’s choice to lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Meanwhile, 41 percent said they have an unfavorable view of the SpaceX CEO and Tesla co-founder.

Robert Kennedy Jr., Trump’s choice for Health and Human Services, was ranked the second most favorable, according to the poll. Kennedy Jr. received a 49 percent favorability rating, while 38 percent of respondents said they had an unfavorable opinion of the former Democrat.

Vivek Ramaswamy and Tulsi Gabbard ranked third and fourth when it comes to favorable opinions, garnering 34 percent and 33 percent, respectively. Along with Musk, Ramaswamy has been tapped to lead DOGE, while Gabbard was chosen as director of national intelligence.

Pam Bondi, Trump’s second pick for attorney general, was more well-liked than his original choice, former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz. Bondi received a 26 percent favorability rating, while Gaetz received 24 percent favorability.

The new data comes after some of Trump’s picks to serve in his new administration have been targeted by violent threats, including bomb threats and swatting, according to the Trump transition team.

The FBI said in a statement that it was aware of the threats aimed at the “incoming administration nominees and appointees” and is working with other law enforcement agencies to investigate them.

The poll also revealed that several appointees are largely unknown to many Americans. For example, half of the survey respondents had no opinion of Sean Duffy, Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Transportation.

Meanwhile, Americans’ opinion of the Republican Party is on the rise, according to the new poll.

Forty-five percent of Americans said they feel favorable toward the Republican Party. That’s up 6 points from an Economist/YouGov poll conducted in late October when 39 percent said they felt favorable toward the Republican party.

The number of respondents favoring Democratic Party has dropped. Thirty-nine percent reported that they felt “favorable” toward the Democrats in late November, compared to 44 percent the month before, according to the data.

Meanwhile, Democrats have been trying to determine what went wrong in the 2024 presidential race. Republicans secured a trifecta, seizing control of both chambers of commerce as well as the presidency.