Donald Trump hits a record-low net job approval for his second term

Donald Trump hit a new low in net job approval for his second term in this week's Economist / YouGov poll. 38% of Americans strongly or somewhat approve of Trump's job performance, while 59% disapprove — a record high disapproval for this term. Trump's net approval of -21 for handling his job as president is the second lowest he has received in an Economist / YouGov Poll, after a survey in November 2017 (also -21, slightly lower than this week before rounding).

If Trump's net job approval remains at this level, it will be comparable to the negative poll numbers Joe Biden received in the spring and summer of 2024, before he dropped out of the presidential race. Biden's lowest net approval on the job was -23, in December 2024.

51% of Americans say they strongly disapprove of Trump's job performance. That's a record high for Trump in either of his two terms, and it is the first time in either term that more than 50% of Americans have said this.

Trump's net job approval is negative among men and women, among white, Black, and Hispanic Americans, and among 18- to 29-year-olds, 30- to 44-year-olds, 45- to 64-year-olds, and those 65 and older.

26% of Independents approve of Trump's job performance and a record-high 69% disapprove, for a net job approval of -43 — a record low for either term. At this point in Trump's first term, his net approval among Independents was -12.

Trump's job approval hitting record lows does not mean it will continue to fall in future weeks. Declines in approval one week are often associated with increases the next week, and vice versa.

Image: Getty (Andrew Harnik / Staff)

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