New citizens wave American flags at a naturalization ceremony in Los Angeles, Calif., March 31, 2010. (Danny Moloshok/Reuters)

A new Gallup poll released Monday found that Americans have become considerably more optimistic about the state of race relations since Trump took office, with a 14-point increase over just three years.

Satisfaction on “the state of race relations” in the country rose from a mere 22 percent in January 2017, just before Trump took office, to 36 percent in January 2020, just weeks before Trump’s State of the Union address.


Race relations optimism still remains 8 points lower than it was in 2001, and a survey of the population from January 2 to January 15 showed that 58 percent of Americans were still dissatisfied with the state of race relations.

Respondents’ satisfaction with “the position of blacks and other racial minorities in the nation” also rose nine points over three years to 46 percent in 2020, as part of a larger trend which showed that Americans overall satisfaction with the direction of the country was at its highest point since 2005.

Eighty-four percent of respondents reported satisfaction with their overall quality of life, a four-point increase from 2017, and public opinion on the state of the nation’s economy has risen 22 points to 68 percent satisfaction under the Trump administration.


Trump repeatedly touts strong economic numbers, particularly for blacks and Hispanics, as evidence of his minority support.


“African-American Unemployment is the LOWEST in the history of our Country, by far. Also, best Poverty, Youth, and Employment numbers, ever. Great!” Trump tweeted on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

It was exactly three years ago today, January 20, 2017, that I was sworn into office. So appropriate that today is also MLK jr DAY. African-American Unemployment is the LOWEST in the history of our Country, by far. Also, best Poverty, Youth, and Employment numbers, ever. Great! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2020

A Washington Post survey of African Americans earlier this month found that “more than 8 in 10 black Americans say they believe Trump is a racist and that he has made racism a bigger problem in the country. Nine in 10 disapprove of his job performance overall.”

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