Trump's Polling Hits New Low, as He Loses Independent Support
President Donald Trump's approval rating slid further Thursday, hitting a new low during his second term of 37% among U.S. adults, according to Gallup, as he continues losing support from independent voters. Independents rated him most poorly on his handling of the budget, Ukraine and foreign trade.
Trump's standing among partisans hasn't shifted. Gallup found that his support from Republicans has stayed steady at around 89% and his approval from Democrats remained in the single digits, falling slightly to 2% in July.
Gallup's pollsters spoke to voters in the two weeks after Trump signed into law his signature spending bill—the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. That law included tax cuts, and increased funds for immigration enforcement, the military and U.S. fossil fuel production. It also included funding cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Among independents, Trump's lowest approvals came in for his handling of the federal budget, at 19%, and the war in Ukraine, at 24%. Twenty seven percent of independents approved of his handling of foreign trade and the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis. His handling of the economy found 29% approval among independents. Trump's overall approval among independent voters declined to 29% down from 46% when he took office six months ago.
Trump's Gallup approval rating during his first term peaked at 49% in May 2020 and fell to its lowest level at 34% during his final weeks in office in January 2021. The new approval rating comes as Trump grapples with concerns from Republican supporters about his administration's refusal to release more files from the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation.
On Wednesday, three House Republicans on the House Oversight Committee broke with GOP leaders and agreed with Democrats to subpoena Justice Department records from the Epstein sex trafficking investigation. The committee also agreed to issue a subpoena for a deposition from Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted for her role in a sex trafficking conspiracy with Epstein, and requested testimony from high-profile figures including President Bill Clinton, former FBI directors James Comey and Robert Mueller.
Trump has tried to change the subject for days, but with little effect. On Tuesday in the Oval Office, he revived a long-time grievance against former President Barack Obama, saying, without evidence, that Obama committed treason for his handling of investigations into Russia's attempt to influence the 2016 election, which Trump won. On Sunday night, Trump launched a flurry of online posts on Truth Social calling for the Cleveland Guardians and Washington Commanders football teams to return to their earlier names, posted clips of people doing dangerous stunts, and shared a fake AI-generated video of Obama being arrested in the Oval Office.
Contact us at letters@time.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'Trump's Weak Dollar Dream Will Be A Nightmare' Because His Policies Are 'Highly Inflationary,' Economist Peter Schiff Says
President Donald Trump's views about the dollar are getting strong pushback from economists like Chief Economist and Global Strategist Peter Schiff. 'Trump said he wants a strong dollar but he also wants a weaker dollar. He says a strong dollar makes you feel better, but a weak dollar makes you richer,' Schiff wrote on X last week. He added that although Trump claims he crushed inflation, his policies are highly inflationary, saying, 'Trump's weak dollar dream will be a nightmare.' Don't Miss: Accredited Investors: Grab Pre-IPO Shares of the AI Company Powering Hasbro, Sephora & MGM— 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. You can Trump Defends a Weaker Dollar, But Economists Aren't Buying It What caused Schiff's comments is what Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday: 'It doesn't sound good, but you make a hell of a lot more money with a weaker dollar, not a weak dollar, but a weaker dollar than you do with a strong dollar.' Trump argued that a strong dollar 'sounds good' and helps with inflation, but he also said, 'You can't sell tractors, you can't sell trucks, you can't sell anything.' He claimed that countries like China and Japan have long pushed for weaker currencies to dominate global markets. Financial experts, however, warn that Trump's stance could $100k+ in investable assets? – no cost, no obligation. 9i Capital Group Chief Executive Officer Kevin Thompson told Newsweek that while a weaker dollar helps U.S. exporters and multinational corporations, it can be bad news for households. 'The U.S. is a consumer-driven, import-heavy economy,' he said. 'A weaker dollar makes imports more expensive, which can drive inflation. So while there are benefits on the corporate side, it also hurts households by increasing the cost of everyday goods.' Thompson also took issue with Trump's claim that the U.S. has 'wiped out inflation.' 'He's dead wrong,' Thompson told Newsweek. 'We're still seeing elevated prices in areas like energy, particularly piped gas, and in household essentials. Food costs continue to climb, especially meat, and many families are seeing higher utility bills.' The dollar has dropped over 10% this year compared to a basket of foreign currencies. The last time the dollar weakened this much early in a year was has said a weaker dollar could help U.S. manufacturers compete globally and boost tourism. He cited the recent rise in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) shares as an example of how a declining dollar benefits heavy industry. Still, economists caution that a weaker dollar also means Americans pay more when they travel abroad and face higher prices on imported goods. While the president insists his policies are aimed at strengthening the economy, critics argue that continued deficit spending and rising debt are already shaking global confidence in the dollar. As Schiff wrote on X back in May, 'The yield on 10-year Treasuries is back up to 4.5% as the U.S. dollar resumes its broad-based decline. Despite the trade truce, the world is losing confidence in the dollar and our ability to get our fiscal house in order. The consequences of de-dollarization will be profound.' Read Next: How do billionaires pay less in income tax than you?.UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? CATERPILLAR (CAT): Free Stock Analysis Report This article 'Trump's Weak Dollar Dream Will Be A Nightmare' Because His Policies Are 'Highly Inflationary,' Economist Peter Schiff Says originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Canada central bank holds rate steady citing US tariff 'threats'
Canada's central bank held its key lending rate at 2.75 percent on Wednesday, as the major US trading partner confronts economic uncertainty two days before President Donald Trump's latest tariff deadline. Canada remains uniquely vulnerable to Trump's trade war given the deep, broad ties between the neighboring economies. Trump's threat to hike tariffs to 35 percent on certain goods if no new trade deal is reached by Friday could wreak further havoc across a Canadian economy already strained by US protectionism. "Let's hope there's an agreement between Canada and the United States. Let's hope it's a good agreement," Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem told reporters after announcing the rate pause. He conceded, however, that "there is a sense that US policy may well remain unpredictable." "There's a sense going to be hard to restore that trust," in the United States as an economic partner, he added. A statement from the bank said that "while some elements of US trade policy have started to become more concrete in recent weeks, trade negotiations are fluid (and) threats of new sectoral tariffs continue." - Tariffs unknown - Canada was the first G7 country to begin cutting rates last year, following several hikes to tame pandemic-fuelled inflation. But Wednesday marked the bank's third consecutive pause, caution largely driven by Trump's policies. "It's hard to be as forward-looking as usual when you've got an unusual amount of uncertainty," Macklem said. A central bank forecast released Wednesday outlined a scenario where the impact of new US tariffs could be relatively muted, if new levies do not apply to goods compliant with an existing trade deal Trump signed -- and praised -- during his first term. The bank said 100 percent of energy exports and 95 percent of all other exports, excluding auto parts, could be compliant with the United-States-Mexico-Canada-Agreement (USMCA). But Trump's auto tariffs are expected to remain in place, bringing further pain to a Canadian sector that has already seen layoffs and shift cuts triggered by the president's push to have more cars made entirely in the United States. Canada's auto plants are highly integrated with US production sites, with parts crossing back and forth across the border multiple times during assembly. - Carney cautious - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has in recent days tried to temper expectations about the prospect of a comprehensive trade deal with the United States. He has said a tariff-free deal with Washington may not be possible, and that he would not sign an agreement that did not benefit Canada. The prime minister, who previously led the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, has also said a recently agreed US-EU pact should not be viewed as a template for Canada. "There are differences. One is geographic proximity," Carney said this week. The Bank of Canada did not rule out more rate cuts later this year to help struggling borrowers. "The Bank appears to be getting a little more comfortable with the notion that the Canadian economy will need the support from further interest rate cuts in the future," CIBC economist Andrew Grantham said in statement, reacting to Wednesday's announcement. But Macklem stressed the bank would act if it sees tariffs driving inflation. "We are going to make sure that a tariff problem does not become an inflation problem," he told reporters. bs/des Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
New York Post
25 minutes ago
- New York Post
Comedians hit back at liberal critics, claim ‘Late Show' cancellation will lead to even more Trump jokes
Chicago comedians argued on Tuesday that the cancellation of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' will lead to more jokes about President Donald Trump, not fewer, in contrast with liberal critics' concerns. After CBS announced the left-leaning comedian's show being canceled weeks earlier, several people ranging from commentators to lawmakers called out the move as authoritarian, suggesting CBS bent the knee to Trump after recently settling a lawsuit. Though some believed that this could lead to either more censorship or political capitulation, comedians from the windy city, where Colbert had trained in comedy, largely believed the opposite. 'That would go for whoever is the president,' late night host Mark Bazer told the Chicago Sun-Times. 'That's the gig. My guess is there's very few comedians or late-night talk show hosts who are going to bend the knee.' Bazer added that Colbert can now 'take the gloves off' regarding his jokes against Trump without the pressure of maintaining his show. 3 Chicago-based comedians Mark Bazer and James Dugan claim that if anything, there' be more jokes about President Trump after CBS announced 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' will end in May 2026. AP 'We've all seen late-night talk shows over the years. It's a tradition to make fun of whoever's in power, like, that's what the job entails,' Bazer said. Local comic James Dugan, who frequently performs for the Chicago improv show Whirled News Tonight, told the Chicago Sun-Times that his team largely pulls jokes from the headlines, which have heavily featured Trump recently. In fact, he described concerns about an oversaturation of Trump jokes. 'A lot of times with our show in particular, we get four or five newspapers and spread them out,' Dugan said. 3 Many commentators and lawmakers called the move by CBS to cancel Colbert's show as authoritarian, after Paramount recently settled a lawsuit with Trump. 'And there is a little bit of a sense of like, should we take out the Trump stuff? Because people are kind of sick of hearing about it.' However, some comedians are still worried about what Colbert's cancellation could mean for comedy on a larger scale. 'The fact that a sitting public official is doing so much private litigation, and that it results in this type of thing — it's dangerous,' stand-up comic Eunji Kim told the Chicago Sun-Times. 3 Bazer told The Chicago Sun-Times that Colbert doesn't need to worry about making Trump jokes since his show will be ending next year, acknowledging that he can 'take the gloves off.' Despite the timing of the announcement, CBS and its parent company, Paramount, have said that the cancellation was a financial decision, not a political one. Insider sources have also said that the decision was made days before Paramount's settlement with Trump. Colbert himself has not shied away from attacking Trump in the weeks after his show's cancellation. Last week, he told Trump to 'go f— yourself' after the latter celebrated the end of 'The Late Show.'
