More SC residents disapprove of Trump in new Winthrop Poll
While S.C. Republicans remain fans of President Donald Trump, South Carolinians overall are more disapproving than not and deeply divided in their feelings about the commander in chief, according to a new poll released Thursday.
In a state where Trump won more than half the vote in November, only 44 percent of S.C. residents say the GOP president is doing a good job, compared to 47 percent who say he’s not, the new Winthrop Poll shows.
Trump’s national approval rating is reflected in South Carolina, where residents’ opinions of the president break along racial, gender and political lines.
The poll comes during a tumultuous launch for the president, who was sworn in about a month ago.
Trump has struggled to win approval of his Cabinet nominees, with one nomination scuttled and another appointee resigning amid controversy, and he’s fought with the courts over his controversial executive order banning refugees from entering the country.
The poll was in the field before and after Trump’s return to the Palmetto State last week. He visited Boeing aircraft manufacturer in North Charleston in an effort to shift the national focus back to jobs and the economy and to thank the state for his primary victory a year ago.
S.C. Republicans remain supportive of Trump, with more than three-quarters saying they approve of his performance. They also overwhelmingly said they are proud of the president, saying he is confident and stands up for people like them.
But S.C. African-Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of Trump with four in five saying he’s doing a bad job. More than that said the words “proud” and “safe” do not describe how they feel about the president.
Trump fares better among white S.C. residents. Only 34 percent of white South Carolinians agreed that he’s doing a poor job, while more than half gave the president high marks.
Trump also is more popular among S.C. men. About half of the men polled said the president was doing a good job, while more women – 54 percent – disapprove of the president’s job performance.
Women also expressed more negative feelings about the president. More than half said Trump did not make them feel proud or safe.
Death penalty for Dylann Roof
The poll also showed that most S.C. residents, including 85 percent of whites and 70 percent of blacks, approve of Dylann Roof’s death penalty sentence.
The poll suggests a change of heart for black South Carolinians. A University of South Carolina poll done in June found that most black South Carolinians – 65 percent – said Roof should get life in prison, not the death penalty.
Those results came before Roof’s trial for the 2015 slaying of nine African-Americans in a Charleston church, when it was revealed that readings from the white supremacist’s jailhouse diary showed his lack of remorse.
Winthrop Poll director Scott Huffmon said the change may come from black S.C. residents’ acceptance of the trial’s outcome.
“Now that he’s been given death, they’re OK with it even if it wasn’t what they initially wanted the prosecutor to seek,” he said.
Who should redraw district lines
A majority – or 63 percent – of S.C. residents favor creating an independent panel to redraw the boundaries of political districts after the next U.S. Census.
Critics say sitting politicians, who control the process now, tend to pick the voters they want, leading to less competition for public office.
SC wallets filling up?
South Carolinians continue to see their wallets expanding.
Thirteen percent said their financial situation was excellent, up from 11 percent last September and 9 percent a year earlier. The largest group of respondants – 45 percent – still see their finances as good.
Rating the new governor
The poll also asked S.C. residents about their new governor, Republican Henry McMaster, who took over as the state’s chief executive when former Gov. Nikki Haley resigned to join the Trump administration as ambassador to the United Nations.
Forty-four percent of South Carolinians said they approve of McMaster, but more than a third said they don’t know enough to express an opinion.
Winthrop polled 703 S.C. residents. The poll has a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points.
Jamie Self: 803-771-8658, @jamiemself
Winthrop Poll – Taking SC’s temperature on Trump
The Winthrop Poll surveyed 703 S.C. residents from February 12-21. The poll has a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points. Key findings:
Do you approve or disapprove of the way President Trump is handling his job?
Among S.C. residents
44 percent – Approve
47 percent – Disapprove
10 percent – Don’t know or refused
Among Republicans
77 percent – Approve
12 percent – Disapprove
12 percent – Don’t know or refused
Among whites
58 percent – Approve
34 percent – Disapprove
8 percent – Don’t know or refused
Among African-Americans
7 percent – Approve
79 percent – Disapprove
14 percent – Don’t know or refused
Among men
51 percent – Approve
39 percent – Disapprove
10 percent – Don’t know or refused
Among women
37 percent – Approve
54 percent – Disapprove
9 percent – Don’t know or refused
S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster’s job performance
Among S.C. residents
44 percent – Approve
16 percent – Disapprove
36 percent – Don’t know
4 percent – Refused
Congress’ job performance
26 percent – Approve
64 percent – Disapprove
10 percent – Don’t know or refused
S.C. Legislature’s job performance
45 percent – Approve
37 percent – Disapprove
17 percent – Don’t know or refused
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham’s job performance
Among S.C. residents
44 percent – Approve
46 percent – Disapprove
10 percent – Don’t know or refused
Among S.C. Republicans
47 percent – Approve
49 percent – Disapprove
5 percent – Don’t know or refused
U.S. Sen. Tim Scott’s job performance
Among S.C. residents
55 percent – Approve
27 percent – Disapprove
19 percent – Don’t know or refused
Among S.C. Republicans
77 percent – Approve
8 percent – Disapprove
15 percent – Don’t know or refused
Direction of the United States
37 percent – Right track
55 percent – Wrong direction
8 percent – Don’t know or refused
Direction of South Carolina
55 percent – Right track
34 percent – Wrong direction
11 percent – Don’t know or refused
Most important problem facing the United States
9.8 percent – Immigration, including refugees
7.7 percent – Economy
7.1 percent – Racism
7 percent – Donald Trump
6.9 percent – Political division
Most important problem facing South Carolina
19.5 percent – Roads, bridges and infrastructure
11.6 percent – Jobs or unemployment
11.2 percent – Education
6.2 percent – Economy
5.7 percent – Racism
Rating the national economy
7 percent – Very good
52 percent – Fairly good
27 percent – Fairly bad
13 percent – Very bad
1 percent – Not sure
Rating the S.C. economy
9 percent – Very good
61 percent – Fairly good
19 percent – Fairly bad
7 percent – Very bad
4 percent – Not sure
Rating their own financial situation
13 percent – Excellent
45 percent – Good
30 percent – Only fair
12 percent – Poor
1 percent – Refused
On whether their financial situation is getting better or worse
63 percent – Getting better
23 percent – Getting worse
13 percent – Not sure or refused
On redrawing district lines
The poll asked whether S.C. residents would favor creating an independent commission to redraw the boundaries of political districts.
63 percent – Favor
30 percent – Oppose
7 percent – Not sure or refused
On giving Dylann Roof the death penalty
Roof was sentenced to death in the 2015 slaying of nine African-American parishioners at the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston.
Among S.C. residents
81 percent – Approve
15 percent – Disapprove
5 percent – Not sure or refused
Among whites
85 percent – Approve
12 percent – Disapprove
3 percent – Not sure or refused
Among African-Americans
70 percent – Approve
24 percent – Disapprove
7 percent – Not sure or refused
This story was originally published February 23, 2017 at 5:07 PM with the headline "More SC residents disapprove of Trump in new Winthrop Poll."