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Mark Penn, co-director of the Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll, reviewed the results of their August survey with Tom Bevan on Thursday's edition of the RealClearPolitics podcast.

"Trump’s ratings stabilized this month," Penn said. "And I think he began to get traction on crime. He’s now shifted focus from immigration to tariffs, and now to leading a national crackdown on crime, and you’re seeing a generally favorable response to it."

"Fifty-four percent approve of the president’s approach, using the National Guard in D.C.," Penn explained. "That's interesting. Any time I apply the word 'Trump,' it’s very hard to get above 50%. If I take his name off the policies, I get 60, 70, 75, even 80% support—for example, locking up criminals who are here illegally. But when you put his name, the country is so polarized that Democrats won’t concede a single inch."


"So when he gets 54% approving, I think, wow, that’s like a normal 65%. That means there are people who approve of it, but won't say they do if you put the name Trump in the questionnaire."

"The public is razor-focused on domestic policy. Foreign policy may dominate the news, but only about 2% say it determines their vote," Penn also said. "Americans are conflict-avoiders. They don’t support wars for long. But right now, they support Israel, they support trying to end the Ukraine war, and they support Trump trying to negotiate. They just don’t know how he’ll do it."

"The Democratic Party is at its lowest ratings," he said. "They’ve come up a bit from their super-lows, but they used to be near 50%. Now they’re at 41%," Penn added. "Republicans are higher, but people are still holding onto partisan loyalties."

"Even though Democrats are unhappy with their party, they’re not switching votes—yet. That will take a campaign," he said. "If the midterms were held today, I think Republicans would eke it out. But it depends on how people assess the economy a year from now."

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"Fifty-four percent approve of the president’s approach, using the National Guard in D.C.," Penn explained. "That's interesting. Any time I apply the word 'Trump,' it’s very hard to get above 50%. If I take his name off the policies, I get 60, 70, 75, even 80% support—for example, locking up criminals who are here illegally. But when you put his name, the country is so polarized that Democrats won’t concede a single inch."

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