Trump’s approval rating hits highest level in two years

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - U.S. President Donald Trump's approval rating has hit its highest level in two years, according to figures released Friday by the Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll.

The data, cited by The Hill news website, suggests that 48% of registered voters approve of the job Trump is doing while 52% disagree. That is the highest approval level seen since June 2017.

That could be due to the president's handling of the economy, with nearly two-thirds of voters approving of employment under Trump.

But only 39% of respondents said the country is headed in the right direction compared with over half who said the economy is properly on course.

“People’s views on the economy are gradually pushing Trump’s numbers up and his actions on other issues like China and immigration are neutral to positive,” said Mark Penn, the co-director of the Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll, according to The Hill. “Every point of increase in this range of 45 to 50 improves the possibility of re-election.”

While the poll shows Trump's numbers approaching record highs, a composite of eight other polls provided by the RealClearPolitics website shows the president hovering around 42% approval compared to 54% disapproval.

That average does not include the monthly Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll.