New Reuters/Ipsos polling highlighted by CNN’s Harry Enten finds public disapproval of President Trump’s handling of corruption has risen to 59 percent. Independents show even higher disapproval at 64 percent. The poll also finds that 69 percent believe Trump’s business interests influence his decisions and 51 percent view the administration as more corrupt than recent ones.
Poll: 59% of Americans Disapprove of Trump’s Handling of Corruption, Reuters/Ipsos Finds
Trump's corruption can be seen most recently in his attempt to establish a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund for his supporters. / Brian Lawless - PA Images / PA Images via Getty Images
CNN’s chief data correspondent Harry Enten told viewers on CNN News Central that a new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows growing public concern about President Donald Trump’s handling of corruption and whether he is living up to his pledge to "drain the swamp." The survey indicates a sharp rise in disapproval on the issue.
"President Trump came into Washington with the promise of cleaning up the swamp," Enten said. "Well, the American people say he is failing at doing so, and increasingly so."
Enten highlighted the poll’s trajectory: where disapproval was around 43 percent early in Trump’s second term, it has climbed to 59 percent in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll — nearly three in five Americans now say they disapprove of how he is handling corruption.
Independent voters express even greater concern: 64 percent of independents disapprove. Enten warned that the shift reflects a broader perception that the president may be part of the problem rather than the reformer he pledged to be.
Trump has been criticized for letting his business interests and his job as the president intermingle. / Ken Cedeno / REUTERS
"The American people are increasingly believing that Donald Trump is not the person to clean up the swamp. If anything, he is now a member of the swamp," Enten said.
The poll also found widespread worry about the influence of the president’s private business interests on official decisions. According to Reuters/Ipsos, 69 percent of respondents believe Trump’s business interests influence his decisions as president. Notably, 48 percent of Republicans surveyed said the same.
Enten tied these concerns to the rising corruption disapproval: when large majorities — including nearly half of the president’s own party — think personal business interests affect presidential decision-making, public confidence on corruption erodes.
Key Findings
- 59% of U.S. adults disapprove of Trump’s handling of corruption.
- 64% of independents disapprove of his handling of corruption.
- 69% say Trump’s business interests influence his presidential decisions.
- 48% of Republicans agree that his business interests influence his decisions.
- 51% consider the current administration more corrupt than recent ones.
- The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted between Friday and Monday and was highlighted by CNN’s Harry Enten on-air.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted between Friday and Monday, provides a snapshot of public sentiment that Enten characterized as increasingly unfavorable toward Trump on corruption and conflicts of interest.
Help us improve.
