A majority of Americans believe news organizations are too critical of President Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE, according to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released Sunday.

Fifty-one percent of Americans said the media is too critical of Trump, while 41 percent think news organizations have been fair and objective.

The poll also found that Americans are becoming more optimistic about where the country is headed, with 40 percent saying it is headed in the right direction. In December, 33 percent felt that way, compared to 18 percent in July.

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Just under half of Americans hold an unfavorable view of Trump. Forty-seven percent view the president unfavorably, compared to 43 percent who view him favorably.



Similarly, 48 percent disapprove of the job Trump is doing as president, while 44 percent approve.

“He’s not another president; he’s their president,” said Bill McInturff, a Republican pollster who oversaw the poll with a Democratic pollster, as reported by the newspaper.

“And Americans overall do view him more positively than negatively on being effective, bringing change to D.C., being firm and decisive, direct and straightforward — and perhaps most importantly, dealing with the economy.”

The poll was conducted by phone Feb. 18-22, surveying 1,000 American adults. It has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.