5 months ago
Donald Trump's net approval rating has dropped to its lowest point since he entered office, according to Newsweek's tracker.
Newsweek's tracker shows Trump's net approval rating at -11 points, with 43 percent approving and 54 percent disapproving.
That beats a previous low of -10 recorded a month ago on July 25, and is down from -6 this time last week.
Why It Matters
Trump's record-low net approval rating highlights the growing intensity of public opposition to his presidency.
Trump's approval rating, a key gauge of how Americans feel about his presidency, has steadily declined since his return to office earlier this year amid growing dissatisfaction numbers over his handling of the economy, tariffs and immigration.
His approval rating could have key implications for the Republican Party as a whole ahead of this year's New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial races, as well as the 2026 midterm elections, where the GOP is hoping to retain control of both branches of Congress.
While Republicans are hoping to thwart losses next November, history shows the party in the White House typically loses seats during the midterms. During Trump's first White House term, Democrats picked up 41 seats in the House in the midterms.
What To Know
Individual polls from recent days have shown Trump's popularity at an all-time low.
In Quinnipiac's latest poll, Trump's net approval rating hit -18 points, with 37 percent approving and 55 percent disapproving. That is down from -14 points last month and +3 points in January.
The president also landed a record low rating from a SoCal Strategies poll this month, which put his net approval rating at -3 points, down from +13 points in January.
It comes as a number of polls, including the latest surveys conducted by Echelon Insights, YouGov/Economist, and Quinnipiac, have shown the president underwater on every issue.
Economy
On the economy, the public mood is grim. A Verasight survey found that "a third of Americans say their finances are worse than a year ago, and a majority believe Trump's policies have harmed the economy." Tariffs remain especially unpopular: 36 percent support Trump's new import taxes, while 56 percent oppose them. Voters also reject the trade-off of higher consumer prices in exchange for job protection by a wide 21-point margin.
Verasight pollster G. Elliott Morris said: "Our findings on tariffs show that while people may like job protection in the abstract, they flinch at price increases here in the real world."
Other polls confirm the depth of dissatisfaction. A YouGov/Economist survey showed that on jobs and the economy—once Trump's strongest area—only 39 percent approve of his performance, compared with 54 percent who disapprove. While 24 percent of Americans say they strongly approve, that support is eclipsed by the 41 percent who strongly disapprove, leaving Trump with a clear net negative rating despite his focus on economic stewardship.
Inflation, in particular, has emerged as his sharpest vulnerability. Just 34 percent approve of his handling of the issue, while 61 percent disapprove—the widest gap in the dataset. Nearly half (47 percent) say they strongly disapprove. Inflation has hovered at 2.7 percent in both June and July, defying Trump's campaign promise to "end inflation on Day One." At the same time, job growth has slowed sharply, with just 73,000 jobs added in July compared to 147,000 the previous month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
National Guard Deployment
Polls also indicate that voters are largely skeptical of Trump's recent plan to tackle crime in major cities. Earlier this month, he announced that federal troops would be sent to Washington, D.C, claiming the capital had been "overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people."
The move marked an unprecedented federal intervention in D.C.'s governance, drawing criticism over constitutional limits and the principle of home rule. Opponents argue it sets a dangerous precedent, while supporters frame it as necessary to maintain public order. Trump has also suggested that Chicago could "probably" be the next city to receive federal deployments.
Public opinion is deeply divided along partisan lines. An AP-NORC survey found that 55 percent of Americans believe it is acceptable for the military and National Guard to assist local police in large cities, but only a third support federal control of city police departments. Eight in ten Republicans back federal military involvement, while Democrats overwhelmingly oppose it.
The Quinnipiac poll similarly showed opposition to the Washington deployment, with 56 percent of voters against it and 41 percent in favor. Support is strongly partisan: 86 percent of Republicans approve, compared with just 12 percent opposed, while 93 percent of Democrats and 61 percent of independents reject the move. Gender differences are also notable: men are split (50 percent in favor, 47 percent opposed), while 63 percent of women oppose it.
The YouGov/Economist survey found 38 percent approve of Trump's decision to put D.C. police under federal control and deploy the National Guard, compared with 48 percent who disapprove. Strong opposition is particularly pronounced, with 40 percent saying they "strongly disapprove," more than the 24 percent who "strongly approve."
Foreign Policy
Meanwhile, Trump has taken an increasingly assertive role on the international stage, particularly in the Russia–Ukraine war and the Israel–Palestine conflict—a strategy that polls suggest may not have broad voter support.
In Ukraine, he has extended sanctions on Moscow, condemned Russian missile strikes, and pledged additional Patriot missile systems to Kyiv's allies. In July, he threatened punitive tariffs on countries trading with Russia if it refused to agree to a ceasefire and imposed a short "10 or 12 days" deadline for progress.
Earlier this month, he ordered two U.S. nuclear submarines to patrol near Russian waters and personally held ceasefire talks between Ukraine and Russia, which ultimately failed.
In Israel, Trump has distanced himself from Israel's most recent push into Gaza, saying it was pretty much up to Israel whether to fully occupy Gaza.
The Quinnipiac survey shows that on the issue of Russia-Ukraine, confidence in Trump's diplomatic efforts remains limited. Just 40 percent of voters are confident he can broker a permanent peace between Russia and Ukraine, while 59 percent are not. Quinnipiac analyst Tim Malloy noted: "Voters have little confidence in President Trump's effort to broker peace in Ukraine, and most voters don't trust Vladimir Putin to keep a peace deal if one were reached."
And on the issue of Israel-Palestine, 60 percent of voters oppose sending additional U.S. military aid to Israel in its war with Hamas, compared with 32 percent in support—the highest level of opposition since the polling series began after the October 2023 Hamas attack. Opposition is strongest among Democrats (75 to 18 percent) and independents (66 to 27 percent), while Republicans largely support aid (56 to 37 percent).
Public sentiment on the conflict is shifting as well. Thirty-seven percent of voters say they sympathize more with Palestinians, 36 percent with Israelis, and 27 percent remain undecided—an all-time high for Palestinian support and an all-time low for Israeli support in Quinnipiac polling. Half of voters (50 percent) believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, while 35 percent disagree.
Malloy added: "Support for the Palestinians grows while the appetite for funding Israel militarily dips sharply. And a harsh assessment of the way Israel is prosecuting the Gaza campaign invokes a word of infamy."
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