On the latest episode of “Face the Nation,” CBS News’ Margaret Brennan told Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla that “public approval” for Donald Trump’s deportation agenda is “so high,” referencing the latest CBS News poll.
“But details matter,” the senator replied. “It depends.”
It does, indeed. The host wasn’t wrong about her network’s latest survey: A CBS News poll, released last week, found 54% support for deporting immigrants who aren’t legally supposed to be in the United States, and also found the president with a 50% approval rating on immigration — better than his standing on other issues.
But this isn’t the only available data.
Meanwhile, related public opinion research showed that the White House’s policies toward immigration protests in Los Angeles are not at all popular, and there has been related data in recent weeks and months showing majority support for due process — which puts the American mainstream at odds with Trump and his team. The data led The New York Times’ Jamelle Bouie to argue, “What these numbers tell me is that with a more measured approach, Trump might have been able to win this confrontation and bring Americans around to his position. As it stands, a draconian use of force against largely peaceful protesters — in service of a brutal campaign of deportations — has turned the public against him, even as it dislikes the protests themselves. And I expect that the manhandling and handcuffing of Senator Alex Padilla of California during a news conference held by Kristi Noem, secretary of homeland security — a stunning abuse of power — will worsen the president’s position with most Americans.” Or put another way, when Padilla said “it depends” in response to a claim about public attitudes, he had a point.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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