What registered voters think of Donald Trump's political ad, “The Best Is Yet to Come”

Linley SandersData Journalist
July 16, 2020, 6:30 PM GMT+0

President Donald Trump launched a political advertisement highlighting the achievements of America and promises that “the best is yet to come.”

The 90-second clip features scenes from Trump’s Fourth of July trip to Mount Rushmore, during which the president pledged to protect historic monuments from removal or vandalism. The advertisement comes at a time when Americans are debating whether statues of presidential slave-owners should be removed from prominence.

In the spot, the incumbent president tells Americans, “Centuries from now, our legacy will be the cities we built, the champions we forged, the good that we did, and the monuments we created. America’s destiny is in our sights. America’s heroes are embedded in our hearts. America’s future is in our hands, and ladies and gentlemen, the best is yet to come.”

A YouGov snap poll asked 1,000 registered voters to share their opinion of Trump before watching the advertisement and after it. After viewing “The Best is Yet To Come,” positive opinion of Trump increased 8 points among Independents (33% to 41%), 5 points among registered voters overall (40% to 45%), 5 points among Democrats (5% to 10%), and 4 points among Republicans (87% to 91%).

About three in five registered voters (63%) considered the tone of the political advertisement as positive, and one in five (20%) thought it was negative. A narrow plurality of Democrats (38%) — who were asked to put aside their political affiliation while evaluating the clip — also rated the advertisement’s tone as positive rather than negative (35%). Most Republicans (95%) and Independents (62%) categorized the clip as positive.

Most registered voters believe Trump’s advertisement was inspiring (56%) and effective (56%), and a plurality described it as honest (45%). One-third of registered voters (37%) and Independents (33%) thought the advertisement was dishonest.

Learn more about YouGov Direct and find YouGov Direct on the App Store and on Google Play.

Related: What registered voters think of Joe Biden’s new political advertisement, “Tough”

Methodology: This article is based on a flash poll of 1,000 registered voters surveyed via YouGov Direct on July 15, 2020 between 12:00 p.m. and 1:48 p.m. This YouGov Direct Poll was weighted according to age, gender, race, education, and 2016 presidential vote. The margin of error is ±4.3%

Image: Getty