Fox News Poll: Low marks for Trump on health care, taxes -- higher on economy

Taxes and health care.  Both are top priorities in Washington -- and both are issues where voters give President Trump some of his worst job ratings.  Even so, if Republicans fail to fulfill their promise of replacing ObamaCare, few would blame the president.

That’s according to a Fox News poll released Wednesday.

Overall, 42 percent of voters approve of the job Trump is doing as president, while 53 percent disapprove.  Last month is it was 41-55 percent.  His highest approval was 48 percent in February, soon after taking office (47 percent disapproved).

Unlike his boss, Vice President Mike Pence gets a positive score:  44 percent approve vs. 40 percent disapprove.  About one-in-seven, 15 percent, is unable to rate Pence.

Some 83 percent of Republicans approve of Trump and 80 percent approve of Pence.

Among all voters, more “strongly” disapprove of Trump (45 percent) than “strongly” approve (26 percent).  That 19-point intensity gap is mostly unchanged since May.  Plus, Trump’s job rating is steady for the third month in a row.

If his ratings do change, however, expect downward movement.  Here’s why: the poll asks voters if there is a chance Trump could say or do something that would change their mind about him.  Half of Trump approvers (50 percent) think he could do something to make them disapprove, yet only one-third of disapprovers feel they might shift to approval (34 percent).

On the issues, Trump’s response to recent hurricanes brings his most positive job ratings, by far.  Sixty percent approve, while 31 percent disapprove.

He garners net negative job ratings on most other issues, such as North Korea (39 percent approve vs. 55 percent disapprove), Iran (39-45 percent), immigration (39-57 percent), taxes (36-47 percent), Russia (36-54 percent), and health care (35-58 percent).

“Even though many have already made up their minds about Trump, performance and conditions matter,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News poll with Democratic counterpart Chris Anderson.  “His handling of the hurricanes has been a net positive for him, but that could turn if the situation in Puerto Rico continues to deteriorate.”

A highlight for Trump is the economy, as more voters approve (49 percent) than disapprove of the job he’s doing (43 percent).  That’s a net positive score, and his best job rating outside of hurricane response.