Donald Trump's poll ratings dive in South Carolina despite taking state with 14-point margin

Donald Trump’s approval ratings have nosedived in South Carolina – a state in which the Republican President won with a 14 percentage point margin over Hillary Clinton in the election three months ago.

His approval rating in the state has crumbled to 44 per cent, roughly matching average national polls.

The billionaire President has performed poorly in opinion polls during his first weeks in the White House.

His attempted travel ban on seven predominantly Muslim countries, caused international outcry, and the public has ridiculed his confused statements over refugees in Sweden, while one of his senior advisers, Kellyanne Conway, referred to a “massacre” in the US, that never actually happened.

Mr Trump’s persistent attacks against the media and businesses he disagrees with have also drawn widespread criticism, while his administration’s dealings with Russia, which saw the resignation of his national security adviser Michael Flynn has meant early senior staff shakeups in the early days of his administration.

The Winthrop University poll revealed opinions of Mr Trump’s performance are closely split along racial and gender lines in South Carolina.

Almost 60 per cent of white voters approved of the President, compared to just seven per cent of African Americans.

Meanwhile, just over half of men still supported the President, while 54 per cent of women did not.

Mr Trump made his first visit to the state as President less than one week ago, where aircraft manufacturer Boeing unveiled its latest 787 Dreamliner at its Charleston factory.

Mr Trump took the opportunity to promise to keep jobs in the country.

The survey revealed the key concern for voters in South Carolina was immigration, followed by the economy and then race relations.

A national survey by pollsters Quinnipiac, released today, found that 38 per cent of Americans approve of Mr Trump’s performance so far, while 55 per cent disapprove.

The figures are a fall from those taken by Quinnipiac just after the President’s inauguration, in which 42 per cent approved of his job performance, while 51 per cent disapproved.