Stephen A's Take: Trump's not happy with record breaking negative polls about his first 100 days. - The Stephen A. Smith Show

Summary

The Stephen A. Smith Show – Episode Summary
Episode: Stephen A's Take: Trump's Not Happy with Record-Breaking Negative Polls About His First 100 Days
Release Date: April 30, 2025

1. Introduction

In this compelling episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, host Stephen A. Smith delves deep into the current political climate surrounding President Donald Trump’s administration. With a focus on recent poll numbers, policy analyses, and future political trajectories, Smith offers his unfiltered perspective on the challenges and accomplishments of Trump's first 100 days in office.

2. Trump's Approval Rating and Public Perception

Smith begins by highlighting alarming poll numbers that indicate a decline in President Trump's approval:

Approval Ratings Decline: According to an ABC News Washington Post/Ipsos poll, only 39% of respondents approve of Trump's handling of his presidential duties, a 6-point drop since February. (Timestamp: [01:15])

"That's down 6 points from February, while 55% said they disapprove."
Historical Context: This approval rate surpasses the previous low of 42% recorded for a president near the 100-day mark, a statistic also associated with Trump in 2017.
Economic Concerns: A staggering 72% believe Trump's economic policies could lead to a recession in the short term. (Timestamp: [02:30])

"Despite running on a platform of economic turnaround, 72%...think it's very or somewhat likely that Trump's economic policies will cause a recession."
Trust in Leadership: The poll reveals that 37% trust Trump over the Democrats in Congress to handle the nation's primary issues, yet 60% feel he is out of touch with the American populace.

"People said they trust Donald Trump over the Democrats in Congress to handle the nation's main problems by 37% to 30%."

3. Policy Analysis

a. Immigration Enforcement

Smith praises Trump's stringent immigration policies:

Border Control Success: Trump’s focus on immigration enforcement is lauded as a positive shift from Biden's perceived open-border stance.

"You cannot have folks crossing the border illegally...thinking that that is going to bode well for American citizens."
Impact on Public Safety: The administration's efforts are credited with addressing safety concerns and reducing illegal immigration, which Smith argues has been detrimental to national security and public perception.

b. Cabinet Confirmations

Swift Appointments: Trump successfully confirmed 13 cabinet nominees within 10 weeks, surpassing prior administrations' pace.

"Swift Cabinet confirmations...you got people in place to get things done."

c. Energy Policy Reversals

Pro-Fossil Fuel Stance: Trump’s executive orders promote fossil fuel development, revoke electric vehicle mandates, and encourage energy exploration on federal lands, which Smith views favorably.

"Trump signed executive orders promoting fossil fuel development...this is considered a good thing, ladies and gentlemen."

d. Foreign Policy Initiatives

Peace Efforts: Initiatives to broker ceasefires in regions like Ukraine and Gaza are recognized as commendable attempts at fostering international peace.

"Efforts have been made to broker ceasefires in Ukraine and Gaza."

e. Economic Concerns

Public Sentiment: Only 11% of Americans feel better off economically since Trump's reelection, while 51% believe the economy is worsening.

"Only 11% of Americans felt better off economically...51% believing the economy is deteriorating."
Tariff Missteps: Trump's broad targeting of tariffs, especially against allies, is criticized for straining international relationships and favoring China over traditional partners.

"Tight tariffs...targeting not just China, but everybody, which meant some of them were our allies who ultimately turned towards being enemies."

f. Civil Rights and DEI Rollbacks

Aggressive Policies: The administration's efforts to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, including defunding health research for Black communities and cutting support for historically Black institutions, are sharply criticized.

"The Trump administration aggressively targeted DEI efforts...cutting support for historically black institutions."

g. Women's Sports and Transgender Issues

Protecting Women's Sports: Smith acknowledges Trump's stance on transgender participation in women's sports as a necessary intervention.

"In protecting women's sports...that was something that needed to be addressed."

4. Challenges and Future Predictions

a. Democratic Party Struggles

Smith argues that the Democratic Party remains ineffective in countering Trump’s influence:

Lack of Strong Candidates: Despite high-profile figures like Cory Booker, Jasmine Crockett, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrats lack a resonant national figure to challenge Trump effectively.

"The Democrats still can't beat him, because you still have nobody to beat him."
Midterm Imperative: Emphasizing the necessity for Democrats to win upcoming midterm elections to regain legislative power and counteract Trump's influence.

"The Democrats have got to win the midterm. They've got to win the midterm."

b. Future Elections and Scenarios

Potential Supreme Court Impact: Ongoing lawsuits against Trump's executive orders have made the Supreme Court's position precarious, potentially affecting future legal landscapes.
2028 Presidential Race Speculation: Smith speculates on a possible Trump vs. Obama rematch in 2028, highlighting it as a must-see political showdown.

"Could you imagine Trump versus Obama for the 2028 presidency?...that would be must-see TV."

5. Conclusion

Stephen A. Smith concludes that despite the negative poll numbers and growing disapproval, President Trump retains greater popularity than the Democratic Party. This dynamic poses a significant challenge for Democrats, who must revamp their strategies and candidate pool to effectively compete against Trump's enduring influence. Smith underscores the critical nature of upcoming elections and the imperative for Democrats to adapt or risk further entrenchment of Trump's position in the political arena.

This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights presented by Stephen A. Smith, providing listeners with a comprehensive overview of the episode's content.

Transcript

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Unknown News Anchor (1:10)

Now let's get to Washington and the poll numbers that show Americans are not that happy with President Trump after nearly 100 days in office. That's according to a new ABC News Washington Post poll okay or Ipsis Ipsos poll. It says just 39% of respondents in this poll said they approve of how Donald Trump is handling his job as president. That's down 6 points from February, while 55% said they disapprove. This beats the previous low of 42% for a president at or near 100 days in office dating back to 1945. The 42% was also Donald Trump in 2017. Meanwhile, more Americans are losing faith in the president when it comes to the economy. Despite running on a platform of economic turnaround, 72% of those responding to the poll say they think it's very or somewhat likely that Trump's economic policies will cause a recession in the short term. And finally, the poll shows the Democratic Party remains out of favor with the public at large. People said they trust Donald Trump over the Democrats in Congress to handle the nation's main problems by 37% to 30%. Furthermore, while 60% said Trump is out of touch with the concerns of most people in the country, even more, 69% said the Democratic Party is out of touch. It's 64% for the Republican Party overall. Ladies and gentlemen, let's get the good out of the way to talk about The President, the 47th President of the United States, formerly the 45th President of the United States of America. When it comes to immigration enforcement, there is no doubt that Donald Trump has been successful. We can slice it any way we want to, but Joe Biden having an open border policy caused a lot of problems in this nation, particularly the psyche of American citizens. You cannot have folks crossing the border illegally and in an undocumented fashion thinking that that is going to bode well for American citizens. Whether it's courtesy of $53 million in prepaid credit cards that were doled out by the Adams administration, the mayor of New York, whether it's Gavin Newsom in the state of California indicating that there's some debt issues with Medicare because of the money that you spent on illegal immigration, whether it's crimes in the streets, whether it's the perception that the streets are unsafe in the streets of America simply because of an immigration problem, you cannot have that. And the fact that Trump rolled up in there and cleaned this stuff up, prioritizing border control definitely is going to be perceived as a plus, whether Democrats and others like it or not. Swift Cabinet confirmations is another successful thing. Why? Because 13 cabinet nominees were confirmed within 10 weeks, surpassing the pace of the previous administrations. You got to give them credit for that, because you got people in place to get things done, assuming they get things done. Energy policy reversals. We all know that Trump signed executive orders promoting fossil fuel development, including revoking electric vehicle mandates and encouraging energy exploration on federal lands. This is considered a good thing, ladies and gentlemen. And of course, foreign policy initiatives, because efforts have been made to broker ceasefires in Ukraine and Gaza. And so he's going to get some credit for trying to make inroads. For making inroads, rather, in that regard, here's the bad there's still economic concerns. You saw the poll numbers, right? And another poll indicated only 11% of Americans felt better off economically since Trump's reelection, with 51% believing the economy is deteriorating. And tight tariffs have been cited as a significant misstep. Because you were targeting not just China, but everybody, which meant some of them were our allies who ultimately turned towards being enemies and were willing to talk to China about doing business with them. Because of the position that Donald Trump and his administration took. Were led by Peter Navarro, by the way. That was problematic. You also got a situation involving civil rights rollbacks. Let's not forget that the Trump administration aggressively targeted DEI efforts, including defunding health research for black communities and cutting support for historically black institutions. According to some folks on Capitol Hill. That is not something to be flattered that he should be flattered. About that is a problem. Okay. And then, of course, there's the strained international relations, his foreign policy moves, such as withdrawing from the World Health Organization and the Paris climate agreement and attempting to annex Greenland, that weakened alliances and drew international criticism. So I look at it from that standpoint. Doge, that remains to be seen because they were considered somewhat successful in terms of their cost saving efforts. But it's been controversial. And, of course, we have to give him credit, as far as I'm concerned, in protecting women's sports in that regard, because we all know with the whole transgender thing and the participation in women's sports, that was something that needed to be addressed. So there you have it. Here's what I walk away with more than anything. Despite his low approval ratings, he's still more popular than the Democrats. So it's really the ultimate indictment against the Democratic Party, because, again, despite the noise that he has made and despite unfavorably he's looked upon, the Democrats still can't beat him, because you still have nobody to beat him. You don't have a face that resonates nationally. You don't have somebody who's dogged in their beliefs who happen to be able to resonate. We saw Cory Booker, the senator who's been a guest on this show, speak for 25 straight hours. Not too many people cared. We see Jasmine Crockett and aoc, you know, speaking what they're speaking. Not too many people are caring. We see AOC going on tour with Bernie Sanders, and they're drawing some crowds. But here's the reality. Going the hell off about Trump ain't gonna get you so far, because all you're showing us is that you're not willing to work with him and because you're not willing to work with him. And the Democrats have control of neither the White House, the House of Representatives, or the Senate. You're powerless. You're just blowing into the wind. The Democrats have got to win the midterm. They've got to win the midterm. Whether it's the Senate or the House. They've got to win the midterm. Because if you don't win, he doesn't have to work with you, because the GOP is going to stand with him, because they're going to be petrified that they'll be booted out of office by their constituency, because Trump will work to turn the constituency against them. So they're gonna march lockstep with him when it really, really counts. Based on what I'm looking at, he could lose some of them if he alienates them. He's already made the Supreme Court a bit suspect with some of the things he suggested, courtesy of all the lawsuits that have come their way because of the executive orders that he has signed and how that's worked out because he got a lawsuit every other day, for crying out loud. But in the end, it doesn't amount to anything if you don't have a Democratic candidate anywhere who can take him on or one of his surrogates that's gonna succeed him in 2028, assuming he doesn't elect, he doesn't pull off, rather circumvent the 22nd Amendment and he gets to run for a third term, by the way. I'm just guessing, but it's an educated guess based on some of the things that I'm hearing. While Barack Obama has no interest in returning to office, that may change. If Trump, courtesy of Steve Bannon and his crew, get to circumvent that 22nd amendment, it may change. Could you imagine Trump versus Obama for the 2028 presidency? Say what you will, but that would be must see tv. We'd be transfixed. I don't even know if it's worth talking about anything else if that happens cause everybody will be talking about Obama versus Trump. Obama versus Trump. That's all I have to say about that.