Trump says his approval ratings are down, except with ‘smart people’
US President Donald Trump did something on Wednesday he has rarely done: He admitted his poll numbers had gone down.
Trump, under pressure over his handling of the high cost of living and the investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, alluded to difficulties with his political base in an otherwise exuberant speech to business leaders and officials from Saudi Arabia.
His approval rating fell to 38%, the lowest since his return to office, a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll found this week.
“So my poll numbers just went down, but with smart people they’ve gone way up,” he said in Washington.
In Trump’s telling, his standing has taken a hit from conservative allies who disagree with his view that some skilled foreign workers will be needed to help develop critical industries domestically.
“I…
