Trump’s Approval Rating Margin Hits Second Term Low: Poll

President Donald Trump’s net disapproval rating has slipped to its lowest during his second term in office, a new poll by The Economist and YouGov shows.

Why It Matters

Trump has routinely touted positive approval ratings and polling at news conferences and campaign rallies. Declines in these numbers could hinder his political clout in an already highly polarized climate as the 2026 midterms approach.

When Trump returned to the White House in January, he coasted in with high approval figures. But after months marked by economic uncertainty and criticism, the administration has faced over policies like his handling of immigration and his recently passed tax bill, Trump has seen a dip.

The up-and-down nature of approval polls can paint a picture of the landscape heading into the 2026 elections, where Democrats hope to regain control of the House and the Senate.

What To Know

In the poll, the president has a 40 percent approval rating and a 55 percent disapproval rating.

“This net disapproval—the percent who approve minus the percent who disapprove—of -15 is the lowest Trump has received in his second term,” YouGov’s Public Relations Lead Allen Houston told Newsweek.

The poll surveyed 1,777 respondents from July 25 to July 28 with a margin of error of 3.4 percent.

Trump’s approval ratings are also underwater on key policy issues, including down 11 percent on jobs and the economy, down 25 percent on inflation and prices and down 6 percent on immigration, the poll shows.

In the previous poll taken from July 18 to July 21, the president’s approval rating was 41 percent to 55 percent disapproval. And in a poll taken from July 11 to July 14, the president’s approval rating was also 41 percent with a disapproval rating of 55 percent.

President Donald Trump pictured a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Turnberry, Scotland, on July 28, 2025.

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

What People Are Saying

D. Stephen Voss, a political science professor at the University of Kentucky, told Newsweek: “Presidents regularly see their approval ratings drop during their first year in office. Not all of their supporters will have wanted the same sort of presidency. Because a president can’t be all things to all people, some of the voters who helped put them in office are inevitably disappointed.

“President Trump is alienating more voters more quickly than most past presidents because he has moved aggressively in so many policy domains. Presidents in the past usually have been more cautious in picking their battles, so their support typically eroded more slowly.”

Voss continued: “Voters typically emphasize the economy. Inflation was one of the main issues that put President Trump in office, yet consumers may be facing even higher prices under President Trump due to the tariffs starting to kick in. The longer he’s in office, the more President Trump will start to own the high cost of living that made voters angry at President Biden.

“Note the parallel to President Obama. He was swept into office, a transitional president, in large part due to the Great Recession. But his popularity slid pretty quickly as unemployment persisted on his watch.”

Fox News co-host Jessica Tarlov, on X on July 26: “Donald Trump’s approval rating on inflation in the latest Fox News poll is 36%. Tariffs are driving up costs and the American people are angry. There’s no sugar coating that, no matter how some may try.”

Gallup, on X on July 24: “Six months into his second term, President Donald Trump’s job approval rating has dipped to 37%. This is the lowest rating of Trump’s second term and just slightly higher than his all-time worst rating of 34% at the end of his first term.”

President Donald Trump, earlier this month on Truth Social: “My Poll Numbers within the Republican Party, and MAGA, have gone up, significantly, since the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax was exposed by the Radical Left Democrats and, just plain ‘troublemakers.’ They have hit 90%, 92%, 93%, and 95%, in various polls, and are all Republican Party records. The General Election numbers are my highest, EVER! People like Strong Borders, and all of the many other things I have done. GOD BLESS AMERICA. MAGA!”