Trump's first-term approval rate in Tennessee is worse than Obama's

(Image credit: Pool/Getty Images)

published 22 February 2017

Tennessee is a Republican stronghold, a fact that was demonstrated by President Trump's 61 percent victory in the state last November. But high opinion of the president in the Volunteer State is fading — and it's fading fast, a Middle Tennessee State University poll discovered Wednesday. Today, Trump is approved of by just 51 percent of Tennessee voters.

"New presidents often enjoy a so-called honeymoon shortly after winning their first election, when unifying inaugural addresses and a public that hopes for the best contribute to even greater support and job approval than their winning vote totals," explained the associate director of the poll, Jason Reineke. He dubbed Trump's plunge a "hangover" for voters, with Trump's "job approval at the outset of his presidency ... actually worse than his winning vote total in the state."

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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