President Donald Trump addressed his sliding poll numbers on Wednesday, acknowledging that his approval ratings have dipped but insisting that a different trend is occurring among his most discerning supporters.
Speaking at the U.S.-Saudi Arabia Investment Forum at the Kennedy Center, the President commented on the recent statistics that show a marked decline in public favorability.
“My poll numbers just went down,” Trump conceded to the audience, making a direct reference to the latest figures that have placed his approval rating at its lowest since he began his second term in office.
However, the President quickly added a significant caveat to his statement, differentiating between the general public and an elite group of backers.
He claimed that while the overall numbers are down, “with smart people, they’ve gone way up,” implying that a segment of the population that he deems intellectually superior is increasingly supportive of his actions and policies.
The comments follow a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll which showed his approval rating at 38%, a nine-point drop from his 47% rating upon returning to office, prompting new political analysis and public debate over the correlation between public opinion and his leadership.
