A large majority of Americans believe that U.S. presidents should comply with federal court decisions, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, even as President Donald Trump’s administration has publicly criticized judges who have blocked his policy efforts.
The poll, however, reveals that while Americans generally support judicial authority, many Trump supporters are willing to make an exception when it comes to immigration enforcement — a key priority for the president.
The three-day survey, which concluded on Sunday, found that 82% of respondents — including strong majorities across both political parties — agreed that “the president of the United States should obey federal court rulings even if the president does not want to.”
Yet, when asked specifically about Trump’s recent use of wartime powers to deport certain individuals, despite a judge’s order to stop the practice, 76% of Republicans said the administration should continue deporting people it considers dangerous. Only 8% of Democrats agreed with that position.
These findings suggest that while most Republicans believe courts should hold presidents in check, a significant portion are willing to see Trump defy court rulings when it comes to removing individuals they view as security threats.
The Trump administration recently clashed with the judiciary by using an 18th-century statute to deport migrants alleged to be members of a Venezuelan gang. This occurred despite a federal judge’s order halting those deportations. Notably, two deportation flights were not called back even after the court issued the stop order, raising questions about whether the administration intentionally violated the ruling.
Trump secured the presidency in the November election on promises of unprecedented deportation efforts. Although his first month in office showed fewer deportations than those under his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, Biden had faced a surge of illegal immigration and had rapidly increased deportation numbers. Trump has since created new methods to expedite deportations, including sending suspected gang members to prisons in El Salvador.
According to the poll, 45% of respondents approve of Trump’s job performance, a slight uptick from 44% in a similar poll conducted March 11-12. His approval rating remains stronger than much of his first term from 2017 to 2021 and higher than Biden’s ratings for most of his presidency.
Trump’s strongest approval continues to be on immigration, where he consistently receives support from around half of those surveyed — 49% in the most recent poll and 50% in the previous one.
However, his approval on other issues is far lower. Only 38% of respondents approved of his handling of the economy, while just 34% said he was addressing the cost of living effectively. On foreign policy, 37% gave him positive marks.
REF: REUTERS
