A Washington Post/Schar School national poll released Wednesday provided a sense of how Americans are feeling in the aftermath of the presidential election and in anticipation of the next four years under President-elect Donald Trump. More than 7 in 10 Americans reported feeling angry about the race between Trump and Hillary Clinton, with many using the word "disappointed" to describe their response to the outcome. Nearly 9 in 10 said they've been "dissatisfied with the country in recent years," The Washington Post reported.
Despite these negative feelings, 54 percent said they're hopeful about the year to come, and more than 60 percent said they expect to see "major changes" under Trump. Americans are particularly optimistic the economy will improve under Trump, with 52 percent saying they think there will be a boost in living standards. While a majority of Americans do worry Trump won't be able to respectfully disagree or make "wise decisions about war and peace," The Washington Post reported that 48 percent are convinced he will "handle things about right" and not overstep his bounds.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The problems with the current social care systemThe Explainer The question of how to pay for adult social care is perhaps the greatest unresolved policy issue of our time
-
Austria's new government: poised to join Putin's gangTalking Point Opening for far-right Freedom Party would be a step towards 'the Putinisation of central Europe'
-
Silicon Valley: bending the knee to Donald TrumpTalking Point Mark Zuckerberg's dismantling of fact-checking and moderating safeguards on Meta ushers in a 'new era of lies'
-
DeSantis appoints Florida's top lawyer to US SenateSpeed Read The state's attorney general, Ashley Moody, will replace Sen. Marco Rubio in the Senate
-
Pam Bondi downplays politics at confirmation hearingSpeed Read Trump's pick for attorney general claimed her Justice Department would not prosecute anyone for political reasons
-
Biden warns of oligarchy in farewell addressSpeed Read The president issued a stark warning about the dangers of unchecked power in the hands of the ultra-wealthy
-
Hegseth boosts hopes for confirmation amid grillingSpeed Read The Senate held confirmation hearings for Pete Hegseth, Trump's Defense Secretary nominee
-
Biden removes Cuba from terrorism blacklistSpeed read The move is likely to be reversed by the incoming Trump administration, as it was Trump who first put Cuba on the terrorism blacklist in his first term
-
South Korea arrests impeached presidentspeed read Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been detained, making him the first sitting president to be arrested in the country's history
-
House GOP unveils bill for Trump to buy GreenlandSpeed Read The bill would allow the U.S. to purchase the Danish territory — or procure it through economic or military force
-
DOJ releases Trump Jan. 6 special counsel reportSpeed Read Jack Smith's report details the president-elect's "criminal efforts to retain power" amid the 2020 election
