A majority of Americans praised President Donald Trump’s inauguration speech, according to a Morning Consult/National Tracking Poll, despite media criticism that it was too dark and divisive.
The release states:
- Overall positive reactions: 49% of respondents thought the speech was good or excellent, compared to 39% who found it only fair or poor. Additionally, 55% of voters thought it was better than they expected it to be.
- Much more optimistic than pessimistic: 51% found the speech optimistic and 50% found it hopeful. Only 26% found it to be pessimistic.
- “America First” is a hit: 65% of voters reacted positively to the passage in which Trump said, “It’s going to be America First.” 22% reacted negatively to this concept.
- Definitely not boring: only 21% of respondents found the speech boring, compared to 57% who didn’t.
The poll also shows that Trump’s favorability ratings have swung seven points. Forty-nine percent view him favorably, while 44 percent view him unfavorably. Prior to the speech, only 46 percent viewed him favorably, and 48 percent viewed him unfavorably.