Understanding the Trump approval rating graph is essential for anyone following American politics. From a promising start at the beginning of his second term to dramatic declines driven by economic anxiety, tariff backlash, and foreign policy controversies, the polling data tells a vivid story. Here is the most comprehensive, up-to-date breakdown of where President Donald Trump stands with the American public today.
What Is Trump’s Current Approval Rating?
The Trump approval rating graph has been on a persistent downward trajectory throughout his second term, with the latest data painting a striking picture. As of May 1, according to Silver Bulletin, Trump’s net approval rating stood at approximately -18.4, with his numbers on the cost of living even worse at a net -41.5 — a figure that has forced analysts to repeatedly extend the scale of their issue approval charts due to how quickly the inflation number has been dropping. Nate Silver
According to Newsweek, CNN’s poll-of-polls places Trump at 37 percent approval and 62 percent disapproval — a net of -25 — while The Economist’s tracker reports 38 percent approve, 56 percent disapprove, and 7 percent unsure, for a net approval of -17. The consistency across trackers is significant, as individual polls can move on noise while averages tend to shift only when the underlying picture genuinely changes. Newsweek
How Has the Trump Approval Rating Graph Changed Over Time?
A Strong Start That Quickly Faded
According to Wikipedia’s comprehensive overview of opinion polling on the second Trump presidency, when Donald Trump began his second term, his approval rating was 47% — the second lowest approval rating at the start of a presidential term in polling history, second only to his own first term. Throughout his second term, Trump’s approval rating has steadily declined to an average of 37 to 40%. Wikipedia
As per the Economist/YouGov polling data from April 2025, Trump’s net job approval had fallen to -8 by early April 2025, down 14 points since the first Economist/YouGov poll after he took office — when 49% of Americans approved of him and 43% disapproved. The poll noted that Trump had begun his second term as a more popular president than he ever was during his first term, but that lead evaporated rapidly. YouGov
The Liberation Day Tariff Shock
One of the most visible drops captured in the Trump approval rating graph came in the aftermath of his sweeping “Liberation Day” tariff announcements. According to the Pew Research Center, with President Donald Trump’s second term approaching its 100-day mark, just 40% of Americans approved of how he was handling the job — a decline of 7 percentage points from February 2025. Pew Research Center
As reported by YouGov, Americans disapproved of Trump’s new tariffs by a margin of -16, with 52% strongly or somewhat disapproving and just 36% approving. Net approval of the tariffs was -79 among Democrats, -29 among independents, and +57 among Republicans. More Americans said their view on the tariffs was closer to thinking that they “are harmful to the economy and consumers, with no real long-term benefits” (48%) than those who believed “they may cause short-term economic pain, but they lead to long-term economic growth” (37%). YouGov
The Ongoing Slide Through Late 2025
According to Time magazine, the RealClearPolling average of national polls showed Trump’s overall job approval at about 43 percent and disapproval around 53 percent as of late December 2025. The President himself acknowledged his declining approval at that time. “So my poll numbers just went down, but with smart people they’ve gone way up,” he said, going on to blame disagreements within his conservative base. Time
Per Navigator Research’s year-end review, Americans remained highly negative on the President’s economic management, with 61% disapproving of his handling of inflation and the cost of living, and 14% of Trump voters saying they regret their vote, largely because of his handling of the economy. Navigator Research
Second-Term Lows in Early 2025
According to NBC News, Trump’s approval rating sank to a new second-term low in an NBC News Decision Desk survey conducted during the first two weeks of April, with 37 percent of respondents saying they approve of the president’s overall performance, down from 39 percent. The survey was conducted with 32,433 adults nationwide and had a margin of error of 1.8 percentage points. Trump’s approval on inflation and cost of living fell to 32 percent, with two-thirds of respondents disappointed with his handling of the key economic issues, and 52 percent of those strongly disapproving. The Hill
Trump Approval by Issue: A Breakdown
Economy and Cost of Living
The economy has been the single biggest drag on the Trump approval rating graph. According to Newsweek, citing the NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, overall 38 percent of Americans say they approve of the job Trump is doing as president, while 57 percent disapprove, leaving him with a net approval rating of minus 19. Half of respondents say they strongly disapprove, compared with just over a quarter who strongly approve. Newsweek
As per Reuters data reported by Newsweek, in the March Reuters/Ipsos poll, 63 percent of Americans described the economy as “somewhat weak” or “very weak,” including 40 percent of Republicans, 66 percent of independents, and 84 percent of Democrats. Newsweek
Immigration
Immigration was once Trump’s strongest issue but has seen significant erosion. According to NBC News, overall 44% of Americans approve of his handling of border security and immigration — a 4-point bump since late January and early February — while 56% said they disapprove. Trump saw a dramatic decline in his approval rating on immigration earlier this year after federal immigration officials shot and killed two U.S. citizens in Minnesota. NBC News
As per the NPR/PBS News/Marist poll cited by Newsweek, on immigration, 40 percent approved of Trump’s handling of the issue, down from 43 percent in the summer of 2025, with disapproval having climbed to 57 percent. Newsweek
Trade and Tariffs
According to Silver Bulletin, Trump’s tariff approval numbers are underwater by approximately 30 points, representing one of his weakest issue areas throughout his second term. Nate Silver
The Partisan Divide in the Trump Approval Rating Graph
The Trump approval rating graph reveals a nation deeply divided along partisan lines. As per a Reuters/Ipsos poll cited by Al Jazeera, the poll showed a nation deeply polarised over Trump, with 83% of Republicans and just 3% of Democrats approving of his performance. Al Jazeera
According to Navigator Research, there is a massive 42-point disconnect between Americans’ priorities and the perceived government focus, with immigration having fallen out of the top five issues for Americans. Yet 69% of Americans believe the President and congressional Republicans are focused on immigration and the border, creating a significant gap between policy focus and public priority. Navigator Research
Independent Voters: The Critical Swing
Perhaps the most alarming data point in the Trump approval rating graph for the White House concerns independent voters. As reported by Newsweek, Trump’s net approval with independents is deeply negative, and from February 2025 through April 2025, Democrats have typically held a 2‑ to 7‑point advantage on the congressional ballot, including 45 percent to 40 percent in recent YouGov data. Newsweek
According to CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten, writing on X as cited by Newsweek: “Trump and GOP have a big freaking problem! Milestone: Trump’s net approval has now been underwater for a year. He has the worst net approval with independents at this part in term two of any president this century. The effect: Democrats have a very real chance of winning the Senate, not just the House.” Newsweek
Historical Context: How Does Trump Compare to Other Presidents?
Per Newsweek, net approval in the Trump approval rating graph has steadily declined from +6 in January 2025 to -26 by March and April, marking a clear downward trajectory over 15 months — driven, according to Reuters, by economic dissatisfaction and opposition to the Iran war. Newsweek
The White House, however, has pushed back on the narrative. According to Newsweek, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle stated in an emailed statement: “According to the RealClearPolitics average, President Trump is enjoying a higher approval rating than former Presidents Obama and Bush at this point in their second term, with much more hostile media coverage.” Newsweek
What Is Driving the Decline? Key Factors Explained
1. Economic Anxiety: According to NPR, when asked for their top economic concern, 45% of respondents cited prices — with housing second at 18%, tariffs at 15%, and job security at 10%. Two-thirds said they were very or somewhat concerned about tariffs’ impact on their personal finances. NPR
2. The “Trump Regretters” Phenomenon: As per Navigator Research, one in five Americans who voted for President Trump in 2024 now say they regret it, a share that has held steady across Navigator’s most recent surveys. When asked to explain this shift, the economy and broken promises are cited as the primary drivers of regret. Navigator Research
3. The Trust Gap: According to Gallup cited by Time, while 48 percent of Americans said Trump fit the description of a “strong and decisive leader,” far fewer believe he is honest and trustworthy, at 30 percent, or that he prioritizes the needs of people like them, at 34 percent. Time
4. Economic Trust Flipping: According to Newsweek, a Fox News national poll conducted April 17–20 found that when asked which party they trust more to handle the economy, 52 percent chose Democrats, compared with 48 percent for Republicans — a striking reversal for an issue Republicans have traditionally dominated. Newsweek
Where to Track the Trump Approval Rating Graph in Real Time
Several authoritative sources publish live, updated approval rating graphs:
- Silver Bulletin (Nate Silver): Offers a weighted polling average combining all major national surveys, updated daily.
- RealClearPolling: Aggregates polls from multiple organizations for a rolling average.
- FiveThirtyEight / ABC News: Historically a gold-standard tracker, though it discontinued standalone operations in early 2025.
- YouGov / Economist: Weekly survey data with strong methodological transparency.
- Gallup: Monthly telephone surveys with historical comparison going back decades.
- Pew Research Center: Deep-dive issue-level approval data released periodically.
What Could Change the Graph?
Several factors could move the Trump approval rating graph upward or downward in the months ahead:
Upside risks: A significant de-escalation in trade tensions, a decline in consumer prices, a diplomatic breakthrough on the Iran conflict, or strong jobs data could buoy ratings before the midterm elections.
Downside risks: Further tariff escalation, continued inflation, legal controversies, and independent voter disengagement could push approval ratings to new second-term lows heading into November.
According to Democratic strategist Doug Farrar as quoted by Reuters and cited by Newsweek: “This provides a huge opportunity for Democrats to make major strides in the midterms by focusing on issues that are traditionally more Republican issues, like national security, the economy and immigration.” Newsweek
Conclusion
The Trump approval rating graph tells a story of a president who entered his second term with more goodwill than he had during his first, only to see that goodwill erode quickly under the weight of economic pressures, aggressive tariff policy, and foreign policy controversies. With polling averages now firmly negative across independent trackers, the data suggests significant headwinds for Republicans heading into the midterms. Whether the White House can reverse the trend before November remains one of the defining political questions of the year.