Donald Trump's Approval Rating Plummets With His Own Voters: Poll

Newsweek

15 hours ago

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Donald Trump is facing a growing credibility problem within his own base, as new polling shows his approval rating among his own supporters has taken a sharp dive.
The latest Pew Research poll, conducted between August 4-10 among 3,554 people, shows that Trump's approval rating is down amongst his supporters, from 88 percent in June to 85 percent this month.
At the beginning of his second term, Trump's approval rating among his supporters stood at 95 percent.
President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office to mark the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Act, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, in Washington.
President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office to mark the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Act, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, in Washington.
Alex Brandon/AP
Why It Matters
The downward trend, though gradual, suggests that even within his strong base, Trump is facing modest erosion in support, signaling potential vulnerability within his core base.
What To Know
It comes as Trump's overall approval rating has dropped nationwide since January, especially in recent weeks.
In Pew's poll, Trump's current job approval rating stands at 38 percent, with 60 percent of U.S. adults expressing disapproval of his performance. That is a modest decline from two months ago, when 41 percent approved. In January, his approval rating stood at 47 percent.
Newsweek's tracker has also shown a decline in Trump's popularity, currently putting his net approval rating at -8 points, down from -5 last week and +2 at the beginning of March.
Much of the change in Trump's approval rating over the last few months has come among his own 2024 voters and people who did not vote in 2024, according to Pew Research.
Among Republicans overall, support remains strong in Pew's poll, with 93 percent approving of his job performance — but that is slightly down from 96 percent at the start of his presidency. Meanwhile, approval among 2024 nonvoters has fallen to 32 percent, down from 36 percent in June and 45 percent at the start of his term.
The erosion is more pronounced among Republicans who identify less strongly with the party and GOP-leaning independents. About six in 10 in these groups approve of Trump today, compared with roughly three-quarters at the beginning of his second term.
Support for Trump's policies has also weakened among Republicans. Currently, 58 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say they support all or most of his policies, down from two-thirds earlier this year. Among Democrats and Democratic leaners, 88 percent say they support few or none of Trump's policies, slightly higher than the 84 percent in February, including 51 percent who oppose all his policies.
Foreign Policy Challenges Weigh on Support
On international matters, confidence in Trump's decision-making on the Russia-Ukraine war has dropped among Republicans: 73 percent express confidence today, down from 81 percent a year ago.
Trump is currently in Alaska for a bilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where he hopes to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
Ukraine will not be represented at the summit, though Trump held a virtual call with President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders earlier this week. Trump has threatened new sanctions and tariffs if Russia does not commit to a ceasefire. Earlier in the week, Trump said there is a "25 percent chance" his meeting with President Putin will fail.
Trump said repeatedly on the campaign trail that he would end the war between Russia and Ukraine within his first 24 hours in office. He later walked back those comments, claiming he was joking.
Economic Concerns Fuel Dissatisfaction
Views on economic policies like tariffs are more mixed. Republicans are more likely to see tariffs as beneficial for the country (52 percent) than for themselves personally (40 percent), with 35 percent expecting a mixed impact on their own finances.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick predicted $50 billion in monthly revenue from the new import taxes, which came into effect this month. But JPMorgan warned that 60 percent of the increased costs are expected to be passed on to American consumers through higher prices.
Inflation also rose to 2.7 percent in June. That is despite Trump's previous promise to end inflation on day one of his second term. "Starting on day one, we will end inflation and make America affordable again, to bring down the prices of all goods," he said during a rally in Bozeman, Montana, in August 2024.
And job growth slowed sharply in July, with just 73,000 new jobs added—down from 147,000 the previous month, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
At the same time, polls have shown confidence in the economy among Republicans eroding. The most recent YouGov/Economist poll saw approval of Trump's handling of the economy among Republicans drop to 79 percent, down from 90 percent in January. Inflation, often cited as a central concern for voters, shows an even sharper drop, with approval falling from 84 percent to 72 percent and disapproval rising from 4 percent to 22 percent.
Republicans' Outlook on the Country Grows Less Optimistic
Confidence in Trump's effectiveness among Republicans is slipping as well, according to Pew Research. While 55 percent of Republicans still believe he is making government work better, this is 21 points lower than six months ago. Fewer Republicans express confidence in his ability to unite the country (56 percent) or work with Democratic officials (49 percent).
The YouGov/Economist poll showed that the share of Republicans who view Trump as honest and trustworthy has dropped since the beginning of his second term.
In January, 77 percent of Republicans said the president was trustworthy. By August, that had dropped to 71 percent, while those finding him untrustworthy doubled from 7 percent to 14 percent.
The poll also showed that Republicans' outlook on the direction of the country has become less positive over the summer, with 68 percent saying things are going in the right direction in August compared with 74 percent in May, while those saying things are going in the wrong direction rose by 5 points to 22 percent.
What Happens Next
Trump on Thursday raised the possibility of Zelensky joining him and Putin in Alaska for a second meeting following Friday's summit with the Russian leader.
Remaining in Alaska "would be by far the easiest" way for the three world leaders to hold talks, Trump said during a radio interview.