Trump’s personality might have become too much for strong Republicans

Shifting public perceptions of Donald Trump's personality traits A handful of weeks out of one of the most important presidential elections of our lifetime, Joe Biden is consolidating his lead in polls. And, yet, Donald Trump's approval rate remains relatively stable. Is Trump really like a Teflon pan, to which nothing sticks - no matter the size of the scandal or extent of the controversy? A new study suggests there are first fissures in his Teflon coating. Alessandro Nai of the University of Amsterdam and Jürgen Maier of the University of Koblenz-Landau analysed how voters perceived the personality of the president over time, and find that (strong) Republicans have developed an increasingly more negative perception over the last 18 months. It is obvious that Democrats and Republicans have different perceptions of Trump's personality. Some see him as charismatic and genuine, whereas others perceive him as egocentric and disagreeable. These contrasting perceptions align closely with partisan preferences, so that Republicans tend in general to have a much more positive image of the president's character.