Former president Trump claims extraordinary approval ratings despite threat of prosecution, but what do the polls say?
Donald Trump’s war of words following the raid on his Mar-a-Lago residence has been as much a part of the story as the findings of the FBI search.
The former president’s accusations have included that the bureau planted evidence, that the raid was a search for Hillary Clinton emails, as well as making calls for a « new election » that could reinstate him.
Despite the real possibility of prosecution, Trump has also said that the raid, far from damaging his reputation, has actually propped up his popularity.
The Claim
A tweet posted on September 1, 2022, included a video in which Donald Trump said his poll numbers had « gone through the roof » because of the FBI raid of Mar-a-Lago.
The Facts
It’s not clear which polls Trump is referring to. As he no longer serves as a political leader, and has not officially confirmed his intention to run for office in 2024, there are fewer live trackers of his approval ratings, as there were when he was president.
Most polls are published through think tanks and media outlets which may have their own political leanings and/or choose to work with a polling company that is more likely to represent groups of one political persuasion.
Often these polls are framed around particular events—such as the FBI raid—rather than presenting a more general picture of a given public figure’s popularity.
Crucially, Trump does not state which polls he’s referring to or who was polled either. « Through the roof » is quite vague as a claim too.
