President Trump is starting off his second term with significantly more public support than he had at the outset of his first term.

A poll conducted by Quinnipiac and released Wednesday suggests that 46 percent of registered voters approve of Mr. Trump’s job performance so far and 43 percent disapprove. In January 2017, 36 percent of voters approved of his job performance and 44 percent disapproved. 

With the 47th president enjoying record levels of support for how he is handling the job so far, 54 percent of voters say they were optimistic about the next four years, while 42 percent say they are pessimistic. 

The poll has some troubling news for Democrats. The survey found that just 31 percent of respondents have a favorable view of the Democratic Party, while 57 percent have an unfavorable view. That marks the highest percentage of voters with an unfavorable view of the party since Quinnipiac first began asking the question in 2008.

Republicans also set a record, but for the percent of voters who view it favorably — 43 percent — compared to 45 percent who have an unfavorable view of it. 

When asked what are the most urgent issues, voters listed the economy, preserving democracy, and immigration. 

In terms of his handling of immigration, voters are split so far on Mr. Trump. Forty-seven percent of respondents said they approve of his handling of immigration, while 46 percent said they disapprove, and 9 percent did not provide an opinion. 

However, 60 percent said they approve of his decision to send American soldiers to the border, while 36 percent said they disapprove. Additionally, 44 percent of voters said they support deporting all illegal immigrants. Thirty-nine percent said they support only deporting those who have been convicted of violent crimes, and just 6 percent said they oppose either scenario. 

Mr. Trump campaigned with a promise of securing the border and carrying out mass deportations, and polls during the campaign showed Americans supported those policies. Since taking office on January 20, the administration has been ramping up deportations, with a goal of removing more than 1,000 per day. There were roughly 1,200 deportations on Sunday, significantly more than the daily average of 310 deportations during the last year of the Biden administration. 

While the poll found a majority of Americans support deportations, it did find they are not supportive of Mr. Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship, an effort that has been temporarily put on hold by a federal judge. The survey found that 61 percent of voters said they believe all children born on American soil should be granted citizenship, while 30 percent said children of non-citizens should not be granted citizenship.

Additionally, 57 percent of voters said they disapprove of Mr. Trump’s decision to pardon more than 1,500 January 6 defendants. However, even more voters, roughly 62 percent, said they disapproved of President Biden’s decision to issue pre-emptive pardons for his family members. 

As for his dreams of territorial expansion, voters seem to have mixed feelings. Fifty-five percent disapprove of his idea of America acquiring Greenland, while 28 percent approve. Forty-five percent disapprove of America re-taking control of the Panama Canal, while 44 percent approve. The poll did not share any details about how voters feel regarding Mr. Trump’s suggestion that Canada should become the 51st state. 

The poll was conducted from January 23 – January 27 and surveyed 1,019 registered voters with a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.