Donald Trump’s approval rating has dipped again after a rough stretch that saw him hit record lows in multiple national surveys.
Newsweek’s tracker shows that Trump’s net approval rating stands at -11 points, with 43 percent approving and 54 percent disapproving. It is the third time Trump’s approval rating has dropped to -11 in his second term, his all time low score.
Why It Matters
Even small shifts in approval ratings can be significant in a closely divided electorate, especially for a polarizing figure such as Trump. A sustained decline in approval could signal waning enthusiasm among swing voters or soft support within his own base.
What To Know
It follows a bad week for Trump in the polls. A YouGov/Economist poll last week put his latest approval rating at an all-time low, with 39 percent approving and 57 percent disapproving. The president’s numbers with the pollster last week was 41 percent approval with a 54 percent disapproval rating.
Several polls released this week also pulled his average lower, including Gallup (-16), Ipsos/Reuters (-17), and American Research Group (-21). Others, such as Echelon Insights (-8) and Morning Consult (-6), show smaller deficits, but all continue the recent trend of negative marks for the president.
Meanwhile, pollster Nate Silver’s tracker currently shows that 44 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s job performance, while 53 percent disapprove, giving him a net approval of -9 points—his lowest since July 24.
Still, it’s not a huge departure from where he’s been for the past six months. Trump’s net approval has fluctuated between -4 and -10 since early April.
Polls largely suggest that his declining rating is due to dissatisfaction with the economy. One of Trump’s key campaign promises was to end inflation “on Day One” in office. But consumer prices rose by the fastest pace since January in August, though new government data shows economic growth is stronger than initially thought.
Gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 3.8 percent from April through June, the Commerce Department said Thursday, up from the earlier estimates of 3.3 percent and 3 percent.
The revision was driven by higher consumer spending than previously reported. Personal consumption rose at an annual pace of 2.5 percent in the second quarter, compared with the earlier estimate of 1.6 percent.
Nonetheless, Trump’s rating on inflation hit a new low of -31 points in the latest Verasight poll, and 53 percent of Americans say his policies make the economy worse off.
Trump has sought to blame rising inflation on Joe Biden‘s presidency. During a White House event in March, he said the U.S. and its economy “went to hell” under his predecessor.
In the same month, during his national address to Congress, Trump said, “we inherited from the last administration an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare.” When Trump became president in January 2025, the U.S. inflation rate was about 3 percent.
And polls suggest that message no longer resonates with voters. The latest Cygnal poll, published this month, showed that more Americans blame Republicans than Democrats for rising inflation.
Polls have also shown that more Americans than ever are dissatisfied with the direction the country is moving in, including Republicans.
What People Are Saying
Pollster Nate Silver wrote in a blog post: “Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen slightly this week after a string of bad polls.”
He added: “What could meaningfully move Trump’s approval rating? One potential answer is tariffs and their impact on the economy.”
The White House said in a post on X: “NEW POLL. “57.11% of Americans APPROVE of President Trump! MAGA!”
The post cited a Rasmussen Reports poll. It is not clear which poll the post was referring to. The latest Rasmussen poll showed that 49 percent of likely U.S. Voters approve of President Trump’s job performance, while 49 percent disapprove.
What Happens Next
Political strategists and pollsters say sustained sub-majority approval ratings can harm the sitting president’s party in midterm elections by motivating opposition turnout and complicating messaging for swing-district Republican candidates.
