President Donald Trump’s approval rating is negative in all of the states he lost in the November election and his popularity has declined further in each one during his second administration.
According to polling by Civiqs, which has compiled survey responses in all U.S. states throughout the president’s term, Trump’s approval rating is declining among those who did not vote for him in the last election, suggesting he is not winning over previous dissenters.
Using this data, Newsweek has created a map showing the president’s approval ratings in states he lost.
Why It Matters
Trump’s popularity has fluctuated in the first six-plus months of his term in the Oval Office. In particular, some key policy issues, including tariffs and the administration’s handling of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s case, have caused some voters to turn against the president. Securing votes from all states in the nation will be important when voters head to the midterms in November 2026, particularly in swing states where every vote matters.
What To Know
The state in which Trump’s approval rating is the most positive among those he lost is Maine, where it sits at -18, though it was better in January, which showed -7 percent.
Conversely, the state where he has the least support is Hawaii. In January, his approval rating there was net -43 but has since declined to -53 percent.
In some states, his decline has been stark. His approval rating has declined from -19 to -30 in Connecticut, a drop of 11 percentage points. In Vermont, his rating has fallen by 10 percentage points.
In New York and New Jersey, his approval rating has barely changed. He has dropped by just 1 percent in these states, meaning his approval rating there is -27 and -24, respectively.
This comes after Newsweek analysis revealed that Trump’s approval rating is positive in 18 of the states he won in the 2024 election, and negative in 13.
National polls show that Trump’s approval rating is generally underwater. A survey conducted by Quantus Insights from July 21 to July 23 among 1,123 registered voters showed his rating stands at 47 percent, while 50 percent disapprove.
According to the YouGov polling for British newspaper 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.
Other polls paint a more positive picture. One suggested the proportion of college-educated voters who approve of the president’s job performance has increased since June. Another showed Trump gaining more traction with Hispanic voters, a crucial demographic that traditionally supports Democratic candidates.
What People Are Saying
Speaking to Newsweek previously, Mark Shanahan, who teaches U.S. politics at the University of Surrey in the U.K., said: “The GOP is now so wholly wrapped up in the president’s fortunes that if he continues to poll so poorly over the next 16 months, it’s bound to have an effect on Republican candidates’ fortunes. Not releasing the Epstein files is playing very badly with the MAGA base – not least because when he was on the campaign trail, 47 said repeatedly that he would release them. Now, seemingly because he knows the content, he’s distinctly more circumspect. The longer this saga rumbles on, the more it will nip at the heels of all GOP candidates. If Trump loses the trust of his base, it will mean trouble for his political acolytes. All they currently have going for them is that Democrats remain rudderless and in disarray.”
What Happens Next
Trump’s approval rating is likely to change throughout the remainder of his presidency. His popularity will be tested in earnest when voters head to the midterms in November 2026.
