President Donald Trump has oft-referred to "big league" in his politics and had the world champion New England Patriots at the White House this week, showing a general sports lean, but the sports world is not returning a love of the president, according to a HBO Real Sports/Marist poll.
"The Resistance isn't just about politics," Politicus USA's Jason Easley wrote in review of the poll results.
"Resistance is spreading to the sports world, as pretty soon there will be nowhere in sporting America outside of a NASCAR race that welcome the presence of Donald J. Trump."
The poll broke down President Trump's approval by sport fans as follows:
- NASCAR: 38 percent unfavorable, 50 percent favorable.
- Hockey: 50-42.
- Baseball: 51-39.
- Football: 53-37.
- Tennis: 61-32.
- Basketball: 62-28.
Sports fans are supportive of Obamacare, which President Trump has vowed to repeal and replace, despite his failure to do so in Congress to date.
"Looking at some of the hot-button issues facing the nation, at least a majority of sports fans think Congress should let the Affordable Care Act stand as it is or expand it so that it does more," the Marist poll wrote April 18. "Basketball fans, 73 percent, and tennis fans, 73 percent, are more likely than other fans to have this view. NASCAR fans, 57 percent, and hockey fans, 60 percent, are less likely."
Support for President Trump on immigration is struggling in the sports world, too.
"About eight in 10 sports fans support providing a Pathway to Citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States, if those immigrants meet certain criteria," the Marist poll wrote. "Among residents nationally, 83 percent favor a Pathway to Citizenship while 15 percent oppose it."
Again, NASCAR fans are alone in their support for President Trump there, too.
"Regarding President Trump's executive order to limit entrance to the United States of non-American citizens from six majority-Muslim countries, a majority of NASCAR fans, 58 percent, favor the president’s action," the Marist poll wrote. "At least half of other sports fans, with the exception of hockey fans who divide, 47 percent to 49 percent, oppose the president's order.
"Tennis fans, 61 percent, and basketball fans, 60 percent, are the most likely sports fans to oppose President Trump's executive action."
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