Poll: Modernizing infrastructure is most important Trump pledge

Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Out of all the campaign promises made by President-elect Donald Trump, Americans believe the most important pledge is the revitalization of the U.S. infrastructure, a Gallup poll indicates.

More than two-thirds of Americans -- 69 percent -- told Gallup it is "very important" Trump "enact a major spending program to strengthen infrastructure." Trump has proposed spending $1 trillion to upgrade roads, ports, bridges, public transportation and other transit systems.

The Gallup poll was conducted via telephone interviews on Jan. 9 and Jan. 10 on a random sample of up to 814 adults in the United States.

More than half of Americans also want Trump to reduce income taxes, to establish tariffs on foreign imports and to deport illegal immigrants who committed crimes. About a quarter of Americans want Trump to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.

Last week, Elaine Chao, Trump's pick to serve as the next secretary of transportation, said she hopes to improve the lives of Americans by modernizing infrastructure.

"The Department of Transportation has a key role to play in modernizing our transportation systems, strengthening our country's competitiveness, and improving our quality of life," Chao said in opening remarks at her confirmation hearing. "I look forward to working with you to rebuild, refurbish and revitalize America's infrastructure, so our economy can continue to grow, create good paying jobs for America's working families and enhance our quality of life."

The full Gallup results, including the percent of Americans who told Gallup keeping the pledge is "very important," are as follows:

1. Enact a major spending program to strengthen infrastructure, 69 percent.

2. Reduce income taxes for all Americans, 54 percent.

3. Establish tariffs on foreign imports, 51 percent.

4. Deport more than 2 million illegal immigrants who have committed crimes, 51 percent.

5. Repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, 46 percent.

6. Eliminate the freeze on defense spending, 43 percent.

7. Lift restrictions on the production of shale, oil, natural gas and clean coal, 41 percent.

8. Renegotiate NAFTA or withdraw from the agreement, 40 percent.

9. Freeze hiring of all federal employees, 34 percent.

10. Cancel billions in payments to United Nations' climate change program, 30 percent.

11. Withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, 26 percent.

12. Build a wall along the border with Mexico, 26 percent.

13. Require that for each new federal regulation, two must be eliminated, 23 percent.