Trump Approval Ratings Hit New Low Ten Months Into Presidency

Donald Trump’s second term in the White House was meant to be a comeback story. After his polarizing first presidency and a dramatic return to power in 2024, many expected a renewed, disciplined Trump determined to prove his critics wrong. Ten months later, however, the numbers tell a far bleaker story.

A wave of new polling suggests that Trump’s approval ratings have collapsed to near-record lows, as Americans grow increasingly disillusioned with his leadership. The data paints a picture of a country frustrated by economic woes, political division, and the unrelenting drama of a presidency that promised strength and prosperity but seems instead mired in conflict and stagnation.

And while Trump insists the polls are “fake,” the results spread across multiple major survey organizations show a consistent, downward trend that even the most loyal political aides are struggling to spin.

A Presidency Losing Its Shine

A new CNN/SSRS poll released on November 3 placed Trump’s approval rating at just 37 percent, one of the lowest points of his entire political career. The survey, conducted among 1,245 Americans between October 27 and 30, showed that 63 percent of respondents disapprove of the president’s performance. Only one percent more than his record low after the Capitol Hill riot in January 2021.

When Trump returned to the White House for his second term in January, he started off relatively strong. Approval hovered near 47 percent in mid-February, buoyed by Republican enthusiasm and a brief post-election sense of stability. Ten months later, that number has collapsed.

The results from The Economist’s weekly YouGov survey back up CNN’s findings. Their polling shows Trump’s net approval rating those who approve minus those who disapprove at negative seventeen. That figure has fallen half a point since the previous week, continuing a steady decline since summer.

What makes this slump even more striking is its scope. The Economist’s state-by-state analysis found that Trump’s popularity has fallen in every state except Idaho. Even deep-red states such as Oklahoma, which gave Trump a net positive rating of 27 points in January, have swung hard in the opposite direction, now sitting at negative twelve.

The Economy: Trump’s Biggest Liability

For many Americans, the discontent begins and ends with the economy. The same CNN survey revealed that 72 percent of Americans believe economic conditions are “poor,” compared with just 28 percent who said they were “good.”

Nearly half 47 percent listed the economy and cost of living as their most pressing concerns, far outweighing other issues like immigration (10 percent) or crime (7 percent).

This is a brutal result for a president who staked his reputation on economic recovery. Trump’s second campaign promised that incomes would “skyrocket,” inflation would “vanish completely,” and the middle class would “prosper like never before.” Instead, inflation has proven stubborn, wages have failed to keep pace with rising prices, and investor confidence has dipped amid renewed trade tensions.

In YouGov’s issue-by-issue breakdown, Trump’s handling of inflation has a net approval rating of negative thirty-three. Even among Republican voters, once nearly unanimous in their support of his economic policies, approval is slipping.

According to CNN’s data, 61 percent of Americans now say Trump’s policies have worsened economic conditions, while only 27 percent believe he has improved them. For comparison, 55 percent said the same about Joe Biden at a similar stage in his presidency, and just 28 percent said it of Barack Obama.

Economic frustration is compounded by the ongoing government shutdown the longest in U.S. history triggered by a standoff between the White House and Congress over spending priorities. The shutdown has already furloughed thousands of federal workers, slowed public services, and sapped national confidence.

For many Americans, the shutdown feels emblematic of Trump’s governing style: aggressive, theatrical, and ultimately self-defeating.

Immigration and Law Enforcement: Policies Under Fire

Immigration remains one of Trump’s defining issues and one of his most divisive. Despite stepped-up enforcement measures, aggressive ICE raids, and new cuts to refugee admissions, just 10 percent of Americans identify immigration as their top concern.

Even more telling, a majority of respondents (57 percent) said they believe Trump has “gone too far” in deporting undocumented immigrants, while only 15 percent said he has “not gone far enough.”

The president’s supporters point to the administration’s claim that border crossings have fallen dramatically, though critics argue that the figures are misleading and achieved at the cost of humanitarian crises. Several of Trump’s most controversial immigration orders have been challenged in federal courts, leading to accusations that the administration’s policies are both excessive and legally fragile.

Meanwhile, Trump’s attempts to link immigration to national security and crime have failed to resonate with most Americans. Only seven percent listed crime or safety as a major concern, despite Trump deploying National Guard units in cities like Chicago and Washington, D.C., which he described as “blood-soaked” and “out of control.”

The president’s renewed push for a border wall his long-promised symbol of control—has been met with mixed reactions, even among conservatives. Critics have begun to ask whether Trump’s fixation on immigration has come at the expense of addressing the country’s more immediate economic pain.

Foreign Policy and America’s Standing in the World

Trump’s foreign policy ratings tell a similar story of decline. More than half of respondents in CNN’s poll said his approach to international relations has “hurt America’s standing in the world.” Only 32 percent believe he has improved it, and 12 percent say it has made no difference.

This skepticism isn’t new. Trump’s first presidency was marked by controversial diplomacy from cozying up to authoritarian leaders to alienating traditional allies. His second term has followed a similar pattern, with escalating tensions with China and Russia and a weakening of U.S. influence in international organizations.

Trump’s claim that he has “ended eight wars in eight months” and brought “global respect back to America” was widely mocked after his Truth Social post responding to the polls. Analysts point out that none of those wars existed in the form Trump described, and that troop withdrawals have left power vacuums in several regions.

The perception of America as more isolated and unpredictable has weighed heavily on public opinion. Voters who once saw Trump as a disruptor now increasingly see him as a destabilizer.

A President at War With the Polls

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Trump’s response to his falling ratings has been to deny them altogether. After The Economist’s survey reported his net approval at negative seventeen, Trump took to Truth Social in a familiar tirade against the media and pollsters.

“After winning THREE Elections, BY A LOT, I am now getting the best Polling Numbers that I have ever received,” he wrote. He went on to list a series of supposed achievements “record-setting strong border,” “rapidly falling energy prices,” and “ending eight wars” while accusing “Radical Left Losers” of spreading fake data.

Trump’s claim to have won “three elections” was immediately fact-checked. He has, in reality, won two: 2016 and 2024. His insistence that he also won in 2020 echoes the long-debunked narrative of election fraud that defined his post-presidency exile.

For political observers, this reaction is quintessential Trump. During his first term, he repeatedly dismissed unfavorable polls from Fox News, CNN, and even Rasmussen traditionally friendly territory. He has long argued that mainstream polls underestimate his support and that “silent Trump voters” will once again shock the political establishment.

But a decade of data suggests otherwise. Trump’s approval numbers, across multiple reputable pollsters, have shown remarkable consistency in their lows. Even during his most favorable periods, his approval rarely broke 50 percent. His second-term slump, therefore, looks less like a polling anomaly and more like a structural weakness.

The Warning Signs Ahead of Midterms

The fallout from Trump’s approval collapse could soon have tangible political consequences. With midterm elections less than a year away, both parties are reading the numbers closely.

According to CNN’s data, if congressional elections were held today, 41 percent of voters would cast ballots to oppose Trump, compared with 21 percent who would vote to support him. The rest say their decision would depend on local candidates or issues.

This imbalance poses a serious challenge for Republican candidates in swing states. Many now face the same dilemma as their Democratic counterparts did under unpopular presidents: whether to align with or distance themselves from the commander in chief.

In upcoming gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, Democrats are already testing strategies to capitalize on Trump’s unpopularity. New Jersey candidate Mikie Sherrill has branded her Republican opponent “a Trump clone,” tying him directly to the administration’s struggles with inflation and housing costs.

Barack Obama, campaigning for Sherrill, delivered a blistering critique of Trump’s record. “There is absolutely no evidence that Republican policies have made life better for the people in New Jersey,” Obama said. “They have devoted enormous energy to punishing their enemies, enriching their friends, and silencing their critics. But what they haven’t done is help you.”

Republicans counter that local issues like property taxes and energy policy will determine the outcome more than the president’s national approval rating. Still, even they concede that Trump’s deep unpopularity makes it harder to court moderate voters.

The Myth of Invincibility

Trump’s political career has always been defined by his defiance of convention. Time and again, he has survived controversies that would have sunk other politicians. But there are signs that the aura of invincibility may be fading.

Inside the White House, aides have reportedly become cautious about presenting bad news. Trump’s inner circle, long described as a “yes-man bubble,” risks repeating the isolation of his first term, when dissenting voices were swiftly sidelined.

Political analysts warn that this environment can be dangerous for any leader. When presidents stop hearing the truth, they begin to govern from within an echo chamber. Trump’s public insistence that his approval numbers are “the best ever” suggests that this dynamic is already in play.

The comparison to the “Trump wall” is apt. For years, his political identity has rested on projecting strength and impermeability. But as discontent seeps in from every corner economic, social, and international that wall appears to be cracking.

What the Polls Really Reveal About America

The numbers are not merely a reflection of Trump’s personal performance; they also offer a snapshot of a weary nation.

After years of political whiplash, Americans appear exhausted by the endless cycle of conflict. Trump’s combative leadership style, once celebrated by supporters as “refreshingly honest,” now strikes many as abrasive and counterproductive.

The data shows widening generational and racial divides. Younger Americans under 30, once mildly receptive to Trump’s populist message, have abandoned him in droves. His net approval among that group has fallen from positive three in January to negative forty. Among Black and Hispanic voters, already skeptical, approval has dropped even further.

Meanwhile, the demographic that remains most loyal older white men without college degrees is shrinking as a share of the electorate. Educated and suburban voters, particularly women, continue to move away from Trump’s Republican Party.

These shifts suggest that the president’s base, while fiercely loyal, may no longer be large enough to carry him through future political storms.

A Moment of Reckoning

Every presidency reaches a point of reckoning, when image and reality finally collide. For Trump, that moment may have arrived.

The latest polling is more than a temporary setback; it reflects deep, structural disillusionment with the promises of his second term. Americans wanted stability, prosperity, and unity. Instead, they see division, economic anxiety, and an administration seemingly more interested in confrontation than governance.

And yet, Trump’s history warns against underestimating him. He has defied political gravity before, turning scandals into rallying cries and setbacks into symbols of persecution. His instinct for survival remains unmatched.

Still, no amount of bravado can mask the unmistakable truth: the numbers are bad, and they are getting worse. Ten months into his presidency, Trump faces not only public dissatisfaction but also the looming possibility of electoral backlash that could reshape Congress and define his legacy.

As the next round of elections approaches, the real test will be whether the American public’s frustration hardens into action or whether Trump can once again rewrite the political script that has so often seemed to doom him.

For now, the polls speak clearly. Beneath the slogans and the spectacle, beneath the rallies and the rage, the United States appears to be saying one thing above all else: it’s not working.