Most NY voters rate Trump poorly, even upstate, Poll shows

ALBANY — Six in 10 New York voters, including those upstate where Republican President Donald Trump was once popular, now have an unfavorable view of him and 71 percent rate his job performance as poor or fair, according to a poll released Thursday.

The Siena College Research Institute poll found 65 percent of voters in the state dominated by Democrats had an unfavorable view of Trump, making that the worst rating for the Manhattan developer since he was elected in November. Thirty percent of voters statewide had a favorable view of Trump.

In upstate counties where Trump ran strongest in November, 63 percent of voters have an unfavorable view of Trump, while 33 percent view him favorably. In December, more upstate voters — 48 percent — had a favorable view of Trump, compared to 45 percent who saw him unfavorably at that time.

Trump’s job performance is also down among upstate voters. Seventy percent of upstate voters have a poor or fair assessment of Trump’s job performance in the poll released Thursday. That’s worsened since February, when 63 percent of upstate voters had a poor or fair view of his job performance.

The poll finds Trump’s continued slide is at least partly the result of strong concern over whether Russia interfered with the November elections. The poll found most New York voters want an independent investigation and most — 60-28 percent — opposed Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey.

“The poll indicates growing public concerns about President Trump’s leadership, given numerous policy and political controversies — immigration, foreign policy, intelligence leaks, allegations of administration ties to Russia, economic policy, health care, and more,” said Meena Bose, political science professor at Hofstra University and director of the Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency.

“That said, the president’s supporters remain steadfast, most likely because his campaign ran against existing political practices in Washington, and any critiques of his leadership may be perceived as more of the same,” she said.

Republicans and self-identified conservatives statewide have maintained steady support of the president.

In Thursday’s poll 67 percent of Republicans statewide have a favorable view of Trump. That’s down from 77 percent in January. And 69 percent of conservatives view Trump favorably, the same mark as in January.

By Michael Gormley

michael.gormley@newsday.com@GormleyAlbany

Michael Gormley has worked for Newsday since 2013, covering state government, politics and issues. He has covered Albany since 2001.