Despite the thumping Republicans took in the midterm congressional elections, President Trump’s popularity is gaining strength as are expectations for 2019, according to a new survey.

For the first time since February 2017, Trump’s “disapproval rating” has dropped to below 50 percent, a significant achievement considering the recent GOP elections and wildly swinging stock market.

The Emerson College Poll, provided to Secrets, found that Trump’s disapproval rating is at 47 percent, “below 50 percent for the first time this year.”



(Emerson College)



His approval rating is 43 percent.

“These are his strongest job numbers for the president in an Emerson Poll since February 2017, when Trump had a 48 percent approval/47 percent disapproval,” said the analysis of the Dec. 6-9 survey of 800 Americans.

It also found the nation in a positive mood.

Emerson said that 47 percent expect 2019 to be better than 2018. Some 30 percent said it will be worse.



(Emerson College)



And looking ahead to the 2020 presidential election, a majority of Republican voters, 56 percent, do not believe Trump should face a primary challenger.

On the Democratic side, former Vice President Joe Biden leads with 26 percent followed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., at 26 percent and Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke at 15 percent.