Donald Trump – who left office as the embattled 45th president – has enjoyed a stunning political resurgence, returning at the height of his power to be sworn in as the nation's 47th president.
The next American president will be surrounded by a proven team of dedicated loyalists, built from the strategists who stuck with him after his election defeat and spent two years in the political wilderness.
And his allies have only grown as Trump has won over some of the Silicon Valley media moguls and tech lords he clashed with during his first administration.
Trump survived a bullet to the ear, overcame four criminal cases and a felony conviction and became the first Republican in two decades to win a greater share of the vote than his opponent.
And since the election, his standing has only improved, with a bump in public approval during his time as president-elect.
Voters say he has grown into the role thanks to his presidential performances, according to a major new poll from DailyMail.com/JL Partners. About 39 percent of respondents said they had developed a more positive view of the 78-year-old former real estate mogul in the past two months.
On Monday, the world will watch as he accepts the oath as he places his hand on the Bible that Abraham Lincoln used in 1861 and another that his mother gave to Trump.
They are the same two Bibles he used in 2017. But he will be a very different man from the one who had to hastily put together a White House team after the surprise victory over Hillary Clinton.
Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president on Monday at noon. Observers say he is in a very different position than when he was sworn in for his first term eight years ago
JL Partners surveyed 1,009 registered voters from January 10 to 12. The results showed that Donald Trump's popularity as president-elect had increased over the past two weeks.
At the time, half of his core team was brought in from Wall Street or the Republican establishment.
This time, Trump has drawn from a Republican Party that has been remade in his own image over the past eight years and is aided by Susie Wiles, a veteran chief of staff who has so far managed to maintain the kind of discipline that occurred during his first installment was missing.
Doubters have been silenced or brought into the fold.
The tech barons who were among the VVIPs at the inauguration include Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook who has halted his fact-checking activities, and Jeff Bezos of Amazon, who angered the readers and staff of his Washington Post newspaper by refusing to support Kamala Harris in the elections.
Meanwhile, Trump's overall approval rating rose from 45 percent to 48 percent over the past month, according to our poll.
It is still low compared to other presidential transitions. But it is a stark contrast to the chaos and turmoil of Trump's first election victory.
James Johnson, co-founder of JL Partners, said the difference was clear.
“Rather than reacting with disgust and outrage, voters on the other side and in the middle are thrilled to give Donald Trump a chance,” he said.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, his partner Lauren Sanchez and Elon Musk chat during a candlelight dinner at the National Building Museum the night before the inauguration
Voters who said they had a more positive view of the country, president and America Trump mentioned as part of their reasons for their changing views
Those with a less positive opinion said he was still Trump and mentioned the word thug
Elon Musk talks to Ivanka Trump and Shivon Zillis before President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a dinner at the Building Museum in Washington
Trump will board a US government plane with Melania and son Barron to fly from West Palm Beach to Washington on Saturday for Monday's inauguration
Trump captured the seven major battleground states and won the popular vote in the elections
“This could be because of the way Trump has been behaving – people are telling us they think he's behaving in a more presidential way, mentioning, for example, his attendance at Jimmy Carter's funeral.
'But it can also be a draining effect: our focus groups show that people are tired of the sharp criticism of Trump from partisan media. And they have also survived four years of Trump without the roof collapsing.'
When asked to summarize why they now had a more favorable view of Trump, some respondents said he seemed more presidential.
“He is gracious to the former presidents he meets,” one said after Trump met his colleagues at Carter's funeral.
“I'm not sure why,” said another respondent whose view of Trump had improved. “Maybe he's trying to be more 'presidential'.”
A word cloud of responses was dominated by the terms: America, country and president.
Other pollsters have noted a similar phenomenon, suggesting that part of Trump's newfound appeal among some voters lay in his contrast with Biden, who at age 82 has faded into obscurity and, for example, avoided contact with reporters during the final days of his presidency. presidency.
It could also be that voters have short memories, and the high inflation of Biden's post-pandemic years has wiped away memories of protests and chaos under Trump.
Washington is hurriedly preparing for an indoor inauguration. Staff are building a podium and lectern for Trump to use in the Capitol Rotunda
Trump vowed to make good on his campaign promise to lead the largest deportation effort of illegal immigrants in U.S. history. Pictured: Trump speaks at a rally in Washington, DC, the night before his second inauguration
Voters said Trump's behavior at President Jimmy Carter's funeral was more presidential
In contrast, those who said their views had deteriorated included the word “felon” in their answers, reflecting his conviction in a New York court on charges of corporate fraud for concealing a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.
“The people he has appointed to his cabinet are corrupt and morally bankrupt,” one said.
The word cloud also included 'Greenland' and 'Canada'. Trump has proposed taking over both areas for national security reasons.
“Threatening Canada, Greenland and Panama is the worst form of bullying,” said one respondent, also referring to his suggestion that the US should retake the Panama Canal.
Opponents said Trump's rating would drop quickly.
“The president-elect should enjoy his honeymoon,” said Democratic strategist Brad Bannon, “because my prediction is that it won't last long.
“I think once he becomes president, and once we see some of his extremist presidential campaign promises come to fruition, people will turn against him again.”
