President Donald Trump’s approval rating is declining faster in his second term than it did during his first term in office, according to one poll tracker.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll has found that Trump hit the low approval rating he reached in his first term two days quicker in his second administration than he did in his first term.
Why It Matters
Trump’s approval rating is a key indicator of the extent to which he commands support from the electorate. It is important in measuring whether voters agree with his policies, and negative polling could affect Republicans’ success in the November 2026 midterm elections.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
What To Know
According to the poll, on April 21, Trump’s approval rating stood at 42 percent, down from 47 percent after his inauguration on January 20.
During his first term, Trump’s approval rating didn’t decline to this extent until April 23, 2017, the pollsters said, indicating that the president’s favorability declined two days faster in his second administration than it did in his first.
According to the same tracker, it took until March 29, 2022—14 months into his presidency—for former President Joe Biden’s approval rating to decline to this level.
As other polls show that Trump enjoyed different approval ratings during these two days, the extent to which his support is declining depends on the polls used.
Trump has seen sustained negative polling since returning to office following his implementation and pausing of tariffs on other countries and sweeping executive orders.
According to an April CNBC poll of 1,000 Americans, 43 percent approved of Trump’s handling of the economy and 55 percent disapproved—marking the first time a CNBC survey has shown the president with a net negative on the economy.
Another poll conducted by RMG Research showed the president’s approval rating dropped from 49 to 48 percent, and his disapproval rating increased from 48 to 51 percent compared to a poll from the previous week, giving him a net negative rating for the first time in the firm’s polling.
What People Are Saying
Heath Brown, an associate professor of public policy at City University of New York, told Newsweek: “The president’s signature policy in his first 100 days—introduction of large new tariffs—is unpopular with many Americans, including nearly half of Republicans who think it will harm the U.S. economy in the near term. It then is not surprising that the president’s popularity has dipped to the low levels shown in recent polls.”
What Happens Next
Voters’ opinions of the president are likely to fluctuate depending on the effects of his policies and factors such as the economy.
