President Donald Trump‘s net approval rating is negative on a range of issues except immigration, a new poll shows.
According to political analyst and statistician Nate Silver, writing in his Silver Bulletin Substack, Trump has a net negative approval rating on trade, the economy and inflation but a slightly positive rating on immigration.
Why It Matters
Taking the temperature of the nation, approval ratings are good measures of the public’s response to Trump’s policies and his actions as president. In the first few months of his second term, Trump’s popularity has fluctuated, with some polls more favorable than others. Sustained backlash to his policies could persuade the president to change his approach.
Trump, who made immigration a central part of his campaign, has vowed to crack down on border security, carry out mass deportations and end federal benefits for people residing in the country illegally.
AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson
What To Know
Silver aggregated dozens of recent polls and found that Trump’s approval rating on immigration was +2.5 percent.
The president did not fare as well on other issues, with a -9.5 percent approval rating on trade, -11.3 percent on the economy and -17.5 percent on inflation.
May polling conducted by Verasight U.S. for Strength in Numbers found similar results, with Americans disapproving of the president’s handling of all the policy areas they were asked about except border security.
That poll also found that 49 percent disapproved of his immigration policy, while 47 percent approved.
Overall, Silver found that when analyzing the polls, Trump had a -5.4 net approval rating.
An RMG Research/Napolitan News poll, conducted between May 14 and 21 among 3,000 registered voters, showed Trump’s approval rating at 48 percent, with 50 percent disapproving. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points.
Other polls have found a more positive response to the president. According to a recent Rasmussen survey, 53 percent of respondents said they approved of Trump, while 46 percent said they disapproved.
What People Are Saying
Scott Lucas, a professor in international politics at University College Dublin, previously cautioned against reading too much into any one poll, telling Newsweek: “Opinion polls have their own biases.”
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on April 20: “We are, together, going to make America bigger, better, stronger, wealthier, healthier, and more religious, than it has ever been before!!!”
What Happens Next
The midterm elections, scheduled for November 2026, may offer a clearer indication of voters’ attitudes toward the president’s policies.