Trump calls wave of polls with low approval ratings 'phony' and 'rigged'

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Trump team maps out schedule for first days in office

John Roberts reports from Washington, D.C.

President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday cast doubt on polls showing low approval ratings ahead of Inauguration Day, calling them “phony” and the pollsters “wrong” like they were about his election numbers.

“The same people who did the phony election polls, and were so wrong, are now doing approval rating polls,” Trump tweeted. “They are rigged just like before.”

Trump, who is sworn-in on Friday, responded within hours of three polls -- Monmouth University, ABC News/ Washington Post and CNN/ORG -- being released.

The ABC and CNN polls each showed slightly more than 50 percent of Americans having an unfavorable view of Trump, while the Monmouth poll number was at 46 percent.

A poll released Monday and one released last week also gave the Republican low marks on his transition from White House winner to president.

But some experts and supporters disagree, or at least urge Americans to wait before submitting a final grade.

“The transition is a means to an end, not an end itself,” says Max Stier, of the nonpartisan Center for Presidential Transition. “So far, I’d give him an incomplete. Ask me again in three months.”

Stier argues that Trump, or any U.S. president, needs about a year before their transition effort comes into full view.

Some of Trump’s early challenges, or problems, may be inherent or self-inflicted -- including his continuing strategy of eviscerating critics on Twitter.

Trump has also faced criticism about picking people to lead his transition team and administration who lack Executive Branch experience.

“It’s critical to have people in place who fully understand the machine,” Stier said.

Another issue hurting Trump is critics’ questions about some of his Cabinet picks’ long-standing business ties or views considered beyond the mainstream.

Joe Desilets, a Republican strategist and a member of  Trump’s Pennsylvania campaign team, argued that Trump and his transition team have been “incredibly successful” on several fronts, including successful effort to keep or bring back jobs to the United States.

“The Cabinet that President-elect Trump has assembled is a long list of incredible leaders from industry, politics and the military,” Desilets said. “Most importantly, Trump is putting together the team that he needs to enact the agenda and policies that he put forward to the American people during his campaign.”