President Trump's approval rating shows signs of weakening almost two months after his second term.
While his efforts to crack down on immigration appear to be largely well-received, Trump's performance on the economy took a hit in a tariff plan that lashes out following stock market losses. Although one of his greatest strengths throughout the 2024 campaign, public views on Trump's economic handling have begun to drag him down to his overall recognition assessment.
Analysts said it's not surprising that Trump's approval would drop completely underwater, but recent historical trends have shown frustration leading to a president sitting after a period of bounty.
“This must have been the case [former Vice President] Same goes for Harris,” said Scott Tranter, Director of Data Science at Decision Desk HQ. “Since 2016, this phenomenon has not been Democrats or Republicans. [People] I just don't like people in power. ”
This is what voters think about Trump's work performance on key issues.
Overall work approval
Trump began his second administration with some of his highest recognition ratings for any period.
a CBS News Vote Over just weeks of his second term, his approval rate reached 53%, but a Harvard Cap/Harris survey found him at 52% on the one-month mark.
However, votes with his disapproval ratings are beginning to become a little more common for votes to be higher than his approval ratings. Trump's approval rating It's fallen It is lower than his disapproval rating in his second term on Wednesday at RealClearPolitics.
The first Gallup vote in Trump's second term gave him a -1 point approval for his net job, but a few weeks later, the second vote found it to be -6 points.
Still, his approval is particularly superior to where he was at this point in his first term where he was in the water, where he averaged over five points.
Tranter said there is one major difference, unlike 2016, that it was Trump's popular vote victory in 2024.
“It echoes the overall recognition assessment,” he said. “He's clearly argued, but he's expanded the people he intends to do the same as him, no matter what.”
But Trump's approval rating remains lower than most of his predecessors when he was sworn at this point in his term. Back in the Harry Truman administration, all other presidents began their term in the majority of the countries that approved their performance at Gallup Polling.
The closest to Trump's starting point were Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, 51%.
Hill's political editor Chris Starwald's weekly average shows that Trump has 45.6% approval and 49.8% disapproval, based on several major polls. His net approval was –4.2 points, 1.2 points lower than last week.
economy
Polls along last year's campaign trail show that Americans are primarily paid to Trump's promise of securing the economy, and many trust that they handle the issue more than Harris.
But soon after his second term, polls show frustration over a sudden loss in the stock market and frustration over a potential trade war with America's closest allies.
“You're looking at the first real indicator of negativity in terms of Wall Street's movement. It comes mainly from demographics, which are based on Trump, a man with money, and there was a lot of anxiety and sales pressure in the stock market last week.”
an Emerson College Polling Survey Released this week, it found that almost half of voters, or 48%, have approved Trump's job performance against the economy. A new CNN poll found an additional 56% disapproval figure.
Half of respondents to the CNN poll said Trump's policies have worsened the country's economic situation.
Vote and Economist/yougov Trump's employment and economic approvals have been found to have fallen from 49% to 43% between late January and early March, while inflation approvals have fallen from 45% to 38%.
The latest numbers are devastated for Trump as the White House continues Pledge “To turn back the economic plague unleashed by the Biden administration.” Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are worried that Trump's tariff plans are hurting the economy and have expressed concern about a stock market recession.
Immigrants
Since returning to the oval, Trump has worked to kick off a massive deportation and end birthright citizenship as part of a major repression of immigrants.
Like the economy, Immigration was the biggest problem For Trump supporters during the 2024 race, he opposed the Biden administration's border action.
Pew Research Survey Shortly after Trump's inauguration, 59% of US adults said they had approved the administration to step up deportation, while 58% approved the sending of additional troops to the southern border.
CNN found that 51% approved the handling of immigrants. Emerson found Trump performed best in immigration with 48% approval.
Gallup Poling Since February, Trump's approval for immigration was found to be 46%, 45% over the overall job approval. His support from Democrats on immigration was in single digits, but he won prominent 40% approval from the highest independent of the half dozen issues tested.
The Ukrainian War
Previous extensive bipartisan support for ongoing US aid to Ukraine has split the best path. But more and more voters say they want the war to end through negotiations.
But as war remains, it does not support his handling of conflict.
Kinipiac Voting Found 55% disapprove of how Trump handles the war, with only 38% approved.
Trump, who repeatedly claims that Russia's war with Ukraine did not take place on his watch, clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymia Zelensky and Kiev at a White House meeting.
Six in 10 voters New Kinni Piac Poling He disapproved of the way Trump handled the meeting, saying that more than six in 10 people were in the national interest to support Ukraine. Trump thought Trump was too strict in Ukraine, so only 2% said he was too harsh in Russia.
In an Economist/YouGov poll, 46% of US adults thought Zelensky was not rude to the meeting, but 51% said Trump was the one who was rude, as Vice President Vance suggested.
Tranter said voters might give Trump a “long rope” to end the war.
“He said that in the campaign, I'm going to solve it. So… all of these, all of these talks, not all of these things solve it, it's pretty black and white.”
Customs
After months of threat, Trump imposed a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico this month, marking a turning point in relations between the US and two top trading partners. A few days later, he added exemptions from most imports from these countries, delaying the implementation of tariffs until early April.
Trump's plans are filled with rapid backlash from world leaders, and the looming threat has had economic impacts in the US and beyond.
Over half of voters (over 55%) of the Quinnipiac survey believe Trump is too strict in Canada.
“The exchange of ice on tariffs chills years of friendship and makes it clear that voters feel that it's not the way we treat our neighbors north,” said Tim Malloy, a voting analyst at Quinnipiac University, in a release.
A CNN poll has found Trump a 39% approval rate on tariffs.
Oka reached out to the White House for comments.
