Oct 6, 2018 - Politics & Policy

Majority of Americans agree that Trump stands up for his beliefs

Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images

While President Trump gets low marks from Americans on his temperament, trustworthiness, and leadership, 68% of Americans agree that he stands up for what he believes in, according to a new Pew Research survey.

Why it matters: Trump's refusal to compromise or back down on things he's passionate about is one of the most attractive qualities to his supporters. Broken down along party lines, 91% of Republicans say he stands up for what he believes in, along with 52% of Democrats.

More from the survey:

  • 34% of Americans say the word "trustworthy" applies to Trump, which is a smaller percentage than Presidents Obama and Bush during their midterms.
  • 61% of people say the phrase "cares about people like me" does not apply to Trump.
  • Per Pew, "partisan gaps on trustworthiness, leadership and empathy also are at least as wide as any seen in midterm years since 1994."

One more thing: The majority of Republicans (57%) say GOP lawmakers are not obligated to support Trump's policies if they don't agree with him.

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