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Newsweek
04-08-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Donald Trump's Approval Rating Takes a Dive in New Poll
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump's approval rating has dropped 6 points since April, a new poll by the University of Massachusetts Amherst shows. Why It Matters Trump has routinely touted positive approval ratings and polling. Declines in these numbers could hinder his political clout in an already highly polarized climate as the 2026 midterms approach. When Trump returned to the White House in January, he coasted in with high approval figures. But after months marked by economic uncertainty and criticism that his administration has faced over policies like his handling of immigration and his recent tax bill, Trump has seen a dip. The up-and-down nature of approval polls can paint a picture of the landscape heading into the 2026 elections, where Democrats hope to regain control of the House and the Senate. What To Know In the poll released over the weekend, Trump has a 38 percent approval rating versus a 58 percent disapproval rating. The poll was taken from July 25 to July 30 among 1,000 people with a 3.5 percent margin of error. A poll by the University of Massachusetts Amherst in April showed the president with an approval rating of 44 percent and a disapproval rating of 51 percent. Trump also landed lower numbers on key policy issues, including immigration and civil rights, in the latest poll. The president had slightly lower numbers on jobs and inflation, but within the margin of error. A recent Gallup poll also showed Trump had a 37 percent approval rating, the lowest of his second term and approaching his 34 percent rating just before leaving office at the end of his first term in January 2025, following the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on August 3, 2025. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on August 3, People Are Saying Robert Y. Shapiro, a professor of political science at Columbia University, told Newsweek: "This is not a stunning drop and reflect that Trump has been facing more bad news than good news concerning inflation, ICE's going after undocumented immigrants who have not committed crimes and are holding jobs and have been stable members of their communities, the anticipated further inflation stemming from tariffs, and the parts of his 'big, beautiful, bill' that involves pending cuts in Medicaid and food assistance, while lowering taxes that benefit the wealthy most." Shapiro added that, "The continuation of the Epstein scandal just adds to this, and could even affect support of a small portion of Trump's base." UMass Amherst on X on Monday: "A new UMass Amherst Poll finds President Trump's net job approval has dropped to -20 six months into his term, while his approval rating on immigration has fallen 9 points since April." Fox News host Jessica Tarlov on X on Monday: "Donald Trump's approval rating on inflation in the latest Fox News poll is 36%. Tariffs are driving up costs and the American people are angry. There's no sugar coating that, no matter how some may try." President Donald Trump on Truth Social over the weekend: "THE DEMOCRATS ARE EXTORTIONISTS WHO ALMOST DESTROYED OUR COUNTRY. NOW WE ARE BACK, AND THE USA IS THE 'HOTTEST' COUNTRY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!" What Happens Next The impact of these consistently low approval ratings will be closely watched as the nation enters the 2026 midterm election cycle. With broad disapproval of policies on the economy, immigration, and living costs, Democrats may see a possible opening, but have yet to translate this into a decisive lead as the party regroups after the 2024 election loss. The coming months may determine whether Trump's approval ratings rebound or continue to signal difficulties for Republicans heading into what is expected to be a highly competitive set of midterm elections.
Boston Globe
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Regrets, some Trump voters have a few, according to a UMass poll
Send questions or suggestions to the Starting Point team at . If you'd like the newsletter sent to your inbox, . TODAY'S STARTING POINT Several weeks ago, I started to notice a pattern: people expressing regret for voting for Donald Trump. There was the Hispanic man in Virginia who says he was handcuffed by armed ICE agents even as But these were anecdotes, not hard data. Luckily, another person who noticed the pattern was Tatishe Nteta, a political scientist who directs the UMass Amherst Poll. 'There's been a lot of discussion of regretful voters,' he said. 'So we thought, 'Well, what does that actually look like?'' Advertisement Nteta The results Many of us find it hard to admit our mistakes. So it's striking that 19 percent of the 2024 Trump voters Nteta surveyed now say that they 'have some concerns' about their vote choice. 'Two in 10 is a large percentage to express some level of concern about a decision that they made no more than six or seven months ago,' said Nteta, who conducted the poll with the survey company Advertisement As you can see in the chart below, another 5 percent of Trump voters admit to 'mixed feelings' or 'some regrets.' A further 3 percent say they wouldn't vote for him today. Daigo Fujiwara-Smith/Globe Staff Trump's words and actions so far have also unnerved some supporters. About 15 percent fear he won't respect the rule of law and will seek a third term, and 18 percent worry he'll defy a court order or start a war. And while there are few polls to go on, the discontent may be growing. In February, Revealed preferences Nteta's survey found other signs that Americans are souring on Trump. His job approval rating Americans express particular frustration with Trump on the economy, as several other polls Advertisement Will Democrats benefit? Maybe not automatically. Consistent with other surveys, Nteta's found the Democratic Party with an approval rating lower than the GOP's despite Trump's unpopularity. And although relatively few Kamala Harris voters feel conflicted about having supported her, 14 percent wish they hadn't voted at all — evidence of Democratic dejection. 'Not having your preferred candidate win leads a number of people to say, 'My vote was wasted,'' Nteta said. 'I don't necessarily think these are results which the Democratic Party should be championing.' Still, the remorseful Trump supporters in Nteta's poll — and the 12 percent of respondents who didn't vote last year who now say they'd support Harris — are a chance for Democrats to recover lost ground. 'These types of results provide a window for the ways in which they can mobilize the necessary support to be victorious in 2026 and to be victorious, potentially, in 2028,' Nteta said. Can he recover? Trump has opportunities, too. His supporters are famously loyal, and the vast majority remain happy with their choice. Trump's approval rating is higher than it was Most respondents also remain hopeful that Trump will help ordinary Americans and strengthen the economy. 'As Americans, we envision our leaders, regardless of their partisanship or their ideology, to be working with the best interests of the nation in mind,' Nteta said. 'But at the same time, objective assessments by many Americans question whether or not those hopes will be realized.' 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