Donald Trump's Approval Rating Collapses - Newsweek

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Martha McHardy is a U.S. News reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on polling and California politics. She has covered U.S..Martha McHardy US News Reporter Newsweek Is A Trust Project.

President Donald Trump's approval rating has taken a dramatic hit, with new polls showing a sharp drop in support.

Why It Matters

Trump's approval rating is a key indicator of his political strength as he navigates his second presidential term and prepares for future policy battles.

A shift in his numbers could influence support from Republican lawmakers, affect his ability to push through his agenda and shape the political landscape heading into the midterm election cycle in 2026.

President Donald Trump holds an executive order during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on April 8, 2025, in Washington D.C.President Donald Trump holds an executive order during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on April 8, 2025, in Washington D.C.Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

What To Know

The latest polls show that Trump's approval rating has reached its lowest point since he began his second term.

According to the latest Navigator Research poll, conducted between April 3-7 among 1,000 respondents, Trump's approval rating currently stands at 44 percent, while 53 percent disapprove, giving him a net approval of -9 points.

That represents a drop of 7 points since the pollster's previous survey, conducted in March, and a drop of 11 points from a survey conducted in early February, which found that 49 percent approved of the president's job performance, while 47 percent disapproved.

The latest polling from Cyganl also showed that Trump's approval rating has taken a hit since February. The latest poll, conducted between April 1-3 among 1,500 likely voters, showed that 47 percent approve of the president's job performance, while 51 percent disapprove. That is a major shift from a poll conducted in early February which put Trump's net approval rating at +2 points, with 50 percent approving and 48 percent disapproving.

Both polls had a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.

More bad news came for the president in the latest result from Rasmussen's daily tracker, which now shows Trump's approval rating at 47 points, while the negative sits at 51 points. That is Trump's lowest approval rating with the pollster yet since beginning his second term.

Newsweek's tracker also shows Trump's approval rating at its lowest level yet, with 46 percent approving and 51 percent disapproving.

Other surveys show that the decline in Trump's rating is mainly being driven by voters' dissatisfaction with the economy.

That was amplified last week when Trump announced his new program of "Liberation Day" tariffs, which included a 10-percent baseline tariff on all imports, including those from U.S. allies and non-economically active regions, along with higher rates for countries with large trade surpluses with the U.S.

Trump's announcement sent the markets into turmoil on Thursday, with Wall Street recording its worst day since 2020, when COVID-19 was in full swing. However, U.S. stocks crept back up on Tuesday.

In the face of criticism, Trump has defended his decision, telling reporters, "sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something." He also posted on Truth Social: "Oil prices are down, interest rates are down (the slow moving Fed should cut rates!), food prices are down, there is NO INFLATION, and the long time abused USA is bringing in Billions of Dollars a week from the abusing countries on Tariffs that are already in place."

But experts aren't convinced. CNBC's Jim Cramer warned of a potential repeat of 1987's "Black Monday," while former Fed Governor Frederic Mishkin cautioned that such tariffs could trigger a recession and "stagflation"—"slow economic growth, coupled with high unemployment and accelerating inflation."

Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan have both raised their recession forecasts, citing weakening business and consumer confidence.

Polls show many voters are dissatisfied with the president's handling of the economy and disapprove of tariffs.Polls show many voters are dissatisfied with the president's handling of the economy and disapprove of tariffs.Getty/Newsweek

Navigator's latest poll shows that 55 percent disapprove of the way Trump is handling the economy, while 42 percent approve. That is down 14 points since February. Fifty-eight percent said they have an unfavorable view of tariffs.

Meanwhile, the poll shows that a majority of Americans now say the economy is getting worse (59 percent), up from 37 percent who said the same in December 2024.

Other polls also show Trump's approval rating on the economy underwater. According to Morning Consult's latest poll, more voters than ever disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy (48 percent) and trade (47 percent). Meanwhile, the latest Fabrizio/Journal poll found that 54 percent oppose Trump's tariffs on imports, while 42 percent support them.

It also found that 52 percent think the economy is getting worse rather than better, up from 37 percent who said the same in January.

How Trump's Approval Rating Compares to Joe Biden's

Trump's 46 percent approval rating is lower than Joe Biden's popularity at the same point in his presidency on April 9, 2021, when he stood at 55 percent, with a disapproval rating of 40 percent, according to RealClearPolitics.

Polls released in the days after Trump's inauguration showed his popularity at an all-time high. However, he was still the least-popular president in recent times.

According to Gallup's first poll of Trump's second term, conducted between January 21 and 27, his initial approval rating was 47 percent. The pollster said this figure made him less popular than any president since 1953 at the start of a term and the only one to begin with a sub-50 percent approval rating. Gallup said Biden started his first term with a 57 percent approval rating.

How Trump's Approval Rating Compares to First Term

The RealClearPolitics tracker shows that on April 9, 2017, Trump's approval rating was 40 percent, while his disapproval rating was 53 percent, giving him a net approval rating of -13 points, making Trump more popular now than at the same point in his first stint in the Oval Office.

What Happens Next

Trump's approval rating could fluctuate in the coming weeks, depending on the outcome of key events, including critical negotiations in the Russia-Ukraine war, the growing tariff battle and concerns about a recession.