While Donald Trump's policies on the international flow of goods, services and people have oscillated between cosmetic and consequential, his speeches about globalisation have carried a consistent message. America, he says, suffers from unfair trade deals and unproductive immigrants, both of which take jobs from Americans and weaken the economy. It is often assumed that Mr Trump is tapping into a broad-based backlash against globalisation with this rhetoric. But research suggests the opposite: trade and immigration are at a peak of popularity.
The Pew Research Centre has polled Americans on their opinions about growing trade and business ties with other countries since 2002. The proportion suggesting such ties were very good has never been higher than in 2018, and the proportion suggesting they were either somewhat or very good, at 74%, was only surpassed in 2002. Gallup, meanwhile, has asked if trade is primarily an opportunity for economic growth or a threat to the economy since 1992. Before 2015, the proportion suggesting it was primarily an opportunity had never risen above 56%. It reached 72% in 2017 and was still at 70% percent in February 2018.
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