Poll: Majority says Trump administration running chaotically

A majority of voters believe the Trump administration is running chaotically following an anonymous op-ed and bombshell new book that detail efforts from staffers to push back against the president’s impulses, according to a poll released Wednesday.
The Politico/Morning Consult poll found that 61 percent of voters surveyed think the administration is chaotic, while 32 percent believe it is running well. Those numbers mark a shift from March, when the same poll found that 54 percent viewed it as chaotic and 39 percent said it ran well.
The new poll found that 65 percent of those questioned had heard “a lot” or “some” about an op-ed published last week in The New York Times in which an anonymous senior administration official bashed President Trump and described efforts among staff to “thwart” his “worst inclinations.”
{mosads}While the op-ed prompted furious backlash from the president and his allies, 42 percent of respondents in the poll said they feel more comfortable when administration officials openly criticize the president. Another 37 percent said it makes them less comfortable.
The Trump administration is also grappling with fallout from Watergate journalist Bob Woodward’s new book, “Fear: Trump in the White House,” which hit bookshelves on Tuesday.
The book includes multiple specific allegations of high-ranking staff members questioning the president’s competence and circumventing some of his decisions, as well as Trump bad-mouthing top aides.
The White House and some officials named in the book have attacked Woodward, taking aim at his credibility. The veteran reporter has stood by his work.
Wednesday’s poll found that 41 percent of voters believe the book is credible, while 23 percent disagree.
The poll was conducted Sept. 6-9 and surveyed 1,988 registered voters. It has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.
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