Donald Trump

• Trump's Mexican Trade War Could Imperil Texas Republicans in 2020

  June 04, 2019 | By: Jim Henson, Joshua Blank

  President Trump’s announced plan to pressure the Mexican government to stop the flow of migrants from Central America by imposing a blanket tariff on goods imported into the U.S. risks economic disruption, and political headaches for GOP incumbents on the ballot in 2020.

• In Texas, Partisanship Trumps Immigration in Latino Republicans’ Support for President

  April 17, 2019 | By: Jim Henson, Joshua Blank

  Given the widely recognized demographic trajectory of the state, the political attitudes of Latino voters in Texas remains one of the topics most likely come up in any and all discussions of the state’s electoral future. The approach of a recent article in The Conversation by Stella Rouse and Shibley Telhami with the highly clickable title “How Latinos Really Feel About Trump” got us thinking about the Texas-specific answers to some of the questions raised by the authors about Latinos nationally. 

• Texans' Views on Investigation, Collusion, and Donald Trump as Mueller Report Drops

  March 22, 2019 | By: Joshua Blank, Jim Henson

  Amidst all the unknowns about this phase of the Mueller investigation, now that the "report" has been submitted, one thing we know from University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polling: reactions will be heavily determined by partisanship. Looking back over the time series of UT/TT Polls, attitudes towards Mueller, the Russia Investigation, and even the FBI as an organization split along partisan lines a considerable time ago.

• Emergency powers and Texas senators — a vote for Trump, or principle? (Trump, it turns out.)

  March 14, 2019 | By: Jim Henson, Joshua Blank

  Following principle rather than politics would require crossing Texas GOP voters who are overwhelmingly and uncompromisingly supportive of the wall, comfortable with Trump’s reliance on executive power to deliver it and still intensely supportive of his presidency. 

  [This post originally appeared in Tribtalk on March 13, 2019.  When the Senate voted on March 14, Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn both voted against the resolution.  Twelve Republicans joined Democrats in voting in favor of the motion, which passed 59-41.]

   

• Support Using Executive Powers to Fund Border Wall Without Congress (February 2019)

  Respondents were asked, "Do you support or oppose President Trump using executive powers to fund a wall along the border with Mexico without the approval of Congress?" 

• Donald Trump Approval (February 2019)

  Respondents were asked, "How would you rate the job Donald Trump is doing as president? Would you say that you…" 

• Presidential Vote Choice in 2020 Election (February 2019)

  Respondents were asked, "If the 2020 presidential election were held today, would you definitely vote to re-elect Donald Trump, probably vote to re-elect Donald Trump, probably vote for someone else, or definitely vote for someone else?" 

• Belief in Coordination Between Trump Campaign and Russia in 2016 Election (February 2019)

  Respondents were asked, "Do you think there was coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia in the 2016 Election?" 

• Texas Public Opinion on Donald Trump, Immigration, Border Security as the President Visits El Paso

  February 10, 2019 | By: Jim Henson

  President Donald Trump’s first visit to Texas of 2019 comes as another partial government shutdowwn looms, and as Trump’s demand for funding for a wall or similar barriers continues to meet resistance from congressional Democrats led by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Trump will hold a rally in El Paso as opponents hold a counter-rally that will feature speeches by Beto O’Rourke and newly-elected congresswoman Veronica Escobar.

  Review relevant results from the most recent University of Texas / Texas Tribune Poll that provide context for Trump’s reception upon his return to Texas, and his continued emphasis on immigration and the border with Mexico.

• Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program: Texas Public Opinion and the Politics of the Border Security–Government Shutdown Imbroglio

  December 11, 2018 | By: Jim Henson, Joshua Blank

  If politics in the state capital seem to have taken an oddly agreeable turn in the interim between the November elections and the commencement of the 86th Texas Legislative Session in January 2019, the resurgence of the politics of border security in negotiations between the White House and Congressional Democrats over a continuing resolution to fund the federal government remind us that the nativist sentiment among the Republican base is never far from the surface. Whether they reappear in state politics too, after an interlude of good feelings about the need to address public school financing and forego more divisive policy issues, will depend on the choices of the major players in the legislative process – and, to a difficult to predict degree, upon national atmospherics shaped largely by the White House. 

  For today, though, the intense views on border security and immigration that have been the most reliable features of GOP attitudes both nationally and in Texas are at center stage as Donald Trump plays chicken with the Democratic congressional leadership over his demands for $5 billion in funding for his border wall (presumably the share the Mexican government has not yet paid for).