The donald trump approval rating 29 percent figure has become a major talking point after a new American Research Group survey found that 29% of U.S. adults approve of the way President Donald Trump is handling his job, while 68% disapprove. The poll was conducted September 16–20 among 1,100 American adults and carries a margin of error of approximately three percentage points.
The result is notable because it places Trump’s approval below 30% in the ARG polling series for the first time this year. At the same time, the broader polling picture is not identical across every survey. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted during a similar period put Trump’s overall approval at 32%, while other recent surveys have produced approval readings in the low-to-upper 30s.
Trump Approval Falls Below 30% in American Research Group Poll
The latest American Research Group survey found:
- 29% approve of Trump’s job performance.
- 68% disapprove.
- The poll surveyed 1,100 U.S. adults.
- Interviews were conducted from September 16 through September 20, 2026.
- The reported margin of error is about ±3 percentage points.
The September result represents a one-point decline from the 30% approval rating recorded by ARG in August. Because the change is smaller than the poll’s margin of error, it should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of a statistically significant month-to-month shift.
However, the longer-term movement in the ARG series is more substantial. The pollster measured Trump’s approval at 37% in September 2025, before it gradually moved lower during 2026. The latest 29% reading therefore represents a larger decline than the one-point change from August alone.
Why the 29% Number Matters
Approval ratings measure how respondents evaluate a president’s job performance at a particular moment. They are not the same thing as a vote share, election forecast or measure of support for a particular candidate.
The 29% ARG figure is significant primarily because it represents the lowest approval level recorded by that pollster for Trump in its current series and puts the president below the 30% threshold in a national survey.
At the same time, it is important to avoid treating one poll as a complete measurement of national opinion. Pollsters use different samples, field dates, methodologies and weighting systems. Those differences can produce noticeably different results even when surveys are conducted within days of one another.
Other Recent Polls Show Different Approval Levels
The latest polling landscape demonstrates why individual survey results need to be viewed alongside other measurements.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted September 17–20 found Trump’s approval at 32%, with 66% disapproving. Reuters described the result as the lowest approval rating recorded for Trump in its polling across his political career. The survey included 1,277 U.S. adults and had a margin of error of about three percentage points.
Another recent national survey reported by CNN/SSRS put Trump’s approval at 33%, while a PBS/NPR/Marist poll placed him at 39%. Those differences illustrate the range that can occur among contemporary national surveys.
The Strength In Numbers/Verasight September poll also reported 33% approval and 63% disapproval among adults.
As a result, the 29% figure should be understood as the finding of one specific poll rather than a universal approval rating shared by every current survey.
Economic Concerns Are Central to the Latest Polling
Economic perceptions are an important part of the latest approval numbers.
The American Research Group survey found Trump’s approval on the economy at 26%, considerably below his overall 29% job approval figure. The poll also found substantial concern about household finances and the future direction of the economy.
That economic dissatisfaction is also visible in other recent surveys.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll found that only 17% of respondents approved of Trump’s handling of the cost of living. Among Republicans, approval of Trump’s handling of the cost of living stood at 44%, while 51% disapproved.
Ipsos reported that Republican approval of Trump’s overall job performance had declined to 73% in its September 17–20 survey, compared with 86% in January. Republican approval of his handling of the U.S. economy had also fallen, while approval of his handling of the cost of living was lower still.
Cost of Living Remains a Major Issue
Inflation and household expenses continue to feature prominently in national polling about Trump’s presidency.
The Marquette Law School national survey conducted September 2–9 found overall Trump approval at 37%. However, approval of his handling of several economic issues was substantially lower: 28% for the economy, 20% for gas prices and 19% for inflation and the cost of living.
These results help explain why economic perceptions can produce a lower rating on individual issues than the president’s overall approval rating.
For Americans evaluating presidential performance, questions about prices, wages, fuel costs, household budgets and the broader economy can influence responses to approval surveys.
Trump’s Support Among Republicans
Trump continues to receive considerably higher approval from Republicans than from the public overall, although the size of that Republican support varies by poll.
The Reuters/Ipsos September survey found that 73% of Republicans approved of Trump’s overall job performance. That represented a decline from 82% in the previous Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted one week earlier.
The American Research Group survey also showed a large partisan gap. Its September results placed Trump’s approval among Republicans substantially above his overall national rating, while Democrats and independents reported much lower approval levels.
This partisan divide is a recurring feature of presidential approval polling. A president can have relatively strong approval within his own party while simultaneously receiving considerably lower approval among independents and members of the opposing party.
Trump Approval Compared With His First Term
The latest numbers also provide a basis for comparing Trump’s current approval with polling from his first presidency.
The American Research Group series measured Trump’s approval at 37% in September 2018. The latest September 2026 figure is therefore eight percentage points lower in that pollster’s measurements.
Other pollsters have their own historical series, meaning comparisons should ideally be made within the same pollster rather than by combining unrelated surveys.
The CNN/SSRS survey reported this week also found a 33% approval rating, describing it as a new low for Trump’s two presidential terms in that poll.
What the 29% Approval Rating Does Not Tell Us
The donald trump approval rating 29 percent headline does not mean that 29% of Americans would necessarily vote for Trump or for Republican candidates.
Presidential job approval and electoral preference are different questions.
Approval polling asks respondents whether they approve or disapprove of the president’s performance. Election surveys generally ask respondents whom they intend to vote for in a particular contest. The two measurements can move together at times, but they are not interchangeable.
Likewise, an approval rating does not determine the result of congressional elections. Individual House and Senate contests are influenced by state and district conditions, candidate choices, turnout, campaign dynamics and other factors.
Why Polling Results Differ
Differences between approval polls are normal and can arise for several reasons.
Different Field Dates
Public opinion can change quickly during periods of major economic, international or domestic developments. A poll completed several days earlier may produce a different result from a survey conducted later.
Different Samples
Pollsters may survey all adults, registered voters or likely voters. The population being measured can affect the final result.
Different Methodologies
Surveys can use different recruitment methods, weighting procedures and questionnaires. These methodological choices can influence results.
Sampling Error
Every poll based on a sample has statistical uncertainty. A three-point change between two surveys does not necessarily represent a three-point change in the underlying public’s opinion.
For that reason, analysts generally examine trends across multiple polls rather than relying exclusively on a single number.
The Latest Picture as of September 23, 2026
Taken together, the latest surveys show that Trump’s approval is currently lower than earlier in 2026, but there is no single universally accepted percentage.
The American Research Group survey is responsible for the widely discussed 29% approval figure. Reuters/Ipsos reported 32%, CNN/SSRS reported 33%, and the Strength In Numbers/Verasight poll also reported 33%. Other surveys have produced higher figures, including the 37% result from Marquette and 39% from PBS/NPR/Marist.
The differences do not necessarily indicate that one poll is correct and the others are incorrect. Instead, they reflect the fact that each survey represents a particular sample of Americans measured using a particular methodology during a particular period.
What is consistent across several recent surveys is that Trump’s approval has weakened compared with earlier readings and that economic and cost-of-living concerns are prominent areas of dissatisfaction.
Bottom Line
The latest American Research Group poll puts Donald Trump’s approval rating at 29%, with 68% of respondents disapproving of his job performance. The survey was conducted September 16–20 among 1,100 U.S. adults.
That number is important because it marks Trump’s first sub-30% approval reading in the ARG series this year. However, other contemporary polls place his approval somewhat higher, ranging from the low 30s to upper 30s.
The broader polling data point to economic concerns, inflation, the cost of living and other major issues as important factors in current evaluations of the Trump administration. The 29% result is therefore best understood as one data point within a wider and changing national polling picture.
Key Points Summary
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║ – Donald Trump’s approval rating is 29% in the latest American Research Group national poll. ║
║ – The ARG survey found 68% of U.S. adults disapprove of his job performance. ║
║ – The poll surveyed 1,100 American adults from September 16–20, 2026, with a margin of error of about ±3 percentage points. ║
║ – Other recent national polls have reported higher approval levels, including 32% from Reuters/Ipsos and 33% from CNN/SSRS and Strength In Numbers/Verasight. ║
║ – Economic concerns, inflation and the cost of living remain important factors in recent evaluations of Trump’s performance. ║
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