AP-NORC Poll: Majority approve of Trump's North Korea effort

A majority of Americans now approve of President Donald Trump's handling of US relations with North Korea, a change that comes after his historic summit with that country's leader, Kim Jong Un. But most don't believe Kim is serious about addressing the international concerns about his country's nuclear weapons programme.

A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released today finds that 55 per cent of Americans approve of Trump's diplomacy with North Korea, up from 42 per cent in March and 34 per cent last October.

It's the highest rating for the Republican president on any individual issue on an AP-NORC poll since his inauguration.

The survey was conducted immediately after Trump concluded a one-day meeting with Kim, the first between a US and North Korean leader in six decades of hostility, at which they agreed North Korea would work toward denuclearisation in exchange for US security guarantees.

The positive feeling about the summit among Americans don't appear to have made a dent in Trump's overall approval rating, which stands at just 41 per cent and has not significantly changed since March.

As the poll was being conducted, Trump was embroiled in controversy over his administration's policy of separating children from their parents after border agents catch the families crossing into the US illegally.

Yet even people unhappy with Trump overall are willing to admire his efforts at detente with North Korea. Last September, Trump taunted Kim as "Rocket Man" in a speech at the United Nations, during which he vowed to "totally destroy North Korea" if the US was forced to defend itself or its allies.

Last week, after meeting with Kim, he tweeted, "there is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea."
Still, she added, when she considers the big picture, Trump's presidency is "a nightmare. There's absolutely no integrity in his life and in his presidency overall."
Even as they broadly give Trump solid reviews for the summit, Americans remain skeptical about what sort of deal he may ultimately reach with a country controlled by what he once called a "depraved regime."
Roger D'Aquin, a retired security manager from New Orleans who voted for libertarian candidate Gary Johnson in 2016, said that he thought Trump's tactics with Kim worked, but added, "I have no confidence that Kim wants to cooperate and wants to get rid of his nukes."