President Donald Trump’s second term “honeymoon” is over, a YouGov analyst has said in the wake of the latest polling, which revealed his disapproval rating has increased.
According to the YouGov polling forBritish paper The Times, the proportion of people who disapprove of Trump’s job performance has increased from 52 percent in April to 57 percent in July.
Reacting to this polling, analyst for YouGov Mark Blumenthal said: “The honeymoon at the beginning has gone.”
Why It Matters
In the first six months of his presidency, Trump’s popularity as fluctuated. Voters have in particular raised concerns about the administration’s handling of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s case, as well as Trump’s tariffs policies and his impact on the economy more broadly.
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
Maintaining broad support will be of key importance when voters head to the midterm elections in November 2026.
What To Know
The YouGov survey of 1,470 adults was conducted between July 18 and July 21. The margin of error was not provided.
While 57 percent disapproved of Trump’s performance, 39 percent approved. In April, the proportion of people who approved was 42 percent.
It also found that 37 percent graded Trump’s second term as excellent or good while 59 percent said it had been fair or poor so far.
In addition, 63 percent of Americans said the U.S. was “out of control” and 24 percent disagreed with that premise.
And 36 percent said Trump hasn’t achieved anything this term, while 13 percent listed “arresting and deporting illegal immigrants” as his best achievement so far and 11 percent said it was “reducing border crossings.”
Polling by Civiqs released this week showed Trump’s approval rating was negative in 13 of the 31 states he won in the November 2024 presidential election,
Another survey conducted by Quantus Insights from July 21 to July 23 among 1,123 registered voters showed his approval rating stood at 47 percent, while 50 percent disapproved.
However, other polls are more positive. One poll showed Trump gaining more traction with Hispanic voters, a key demographic that traditionally supports Democratic candidates. Another in July had the proportion of college-educated voters who approve of the president’s job performance increase from June.
What People Are Saying
Speaking to Newsweek, Mark Shanahan who teaches American politics at the University of Surrey in the U.K, said: “Trump’s second term has been less of a honeymoon, but more of a divorce from half the country: one where he’s got to keep the house, the kids and just about all of the assets. From day one of his rule by Executive Order he has never sought to bring the USA together and, indeed, has exploited differences to highlight how he’s delivering on his campaign commitments, not least through DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency], through his clampdown on immigration and through his America First foreign policy.”
“Public services are already beginning to creak thanks to the actions of Musk and his cohort, and tariffs are driving up prices at home, while the economic benefits of the One Big Beautiful act have yet to be felt. And around all this, the whiff of Epstein is tainting the president’s achievements.”
Blumenthal said: “The honeymoon at the beginning has gone: inflation and jobs are still the leading issues and there is not a perception of anything improving. The survey suggests that Trump’s two flagship economic initiatives—his tariffs and the One Big Beautiful Bill — are not perceived as helping the economy.”
What Happens Next
Trump’s approval rating will continue to fluctuate throughout his term in office as he implements his policy agenda. Whether it falls enough to impact the Republican Party in the November 2026 midterms remains to be seen.
