President Donald Trump‘s approval rating has dipped to its lowest during his second term in office, a new Gallup poll shows.
The president received an approval rating of 37 percent in the poll. This number approaches Trump’s 34 percent approval rating before leaving office at the end of his first term, on the heels of the January 6 insurrection.
Why It Matters
Trump has routinely touted positive approval ratings and polling while speaking at news conferences and campaign rallies. 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 the administration has faced over policies like his handling of immigration and his recently passed tax bill, Trump has seen a dip.
The up and down nature of approval polls can paint a picture of the landscape heading into 2026 elections where Democrats hope to regain control of the House and the Senate.
Newsweek reached out to political analysts via email Thursday for comment.
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
What To Know
Since taking office in January, the president’s Gallup approval rating has fallen 10 points overall and 17 points with independents—a critical group the president needs in hopes of securing midterm election wins for the Republican Party. The president’s previous low this term was 40 percent in a June survey.
Thursday’s survey was conducted between July 7 and July 21 among 1,002 U.S. adults with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.
The president has also seen a decline in approval ratings across key issues since February including immigration, the economy, the situation in the Middle East involving Israelis and Palestinians and foreign trade.
The president did secure a high approval rating from Republicans overall and broad approval among the party on each issue the poll shows.
What People Are Saying
CNN data analyst Harry Enten on X on Wednesday: “A new low for Trump, as the USS Donald Trump takes on a lot of water. His net approval has dropped 17 pt since January to -11 pt now. Underwater on all major issues from immigration (-5 pt) to Epstein (-37 pt). Only presidency with worse ratings at this point? Trump term 1.”
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, on X on Thursday: “Gallup reports that Trump is at a net -22%(!) approval rating on immigration (38% approve, 60% disapprove). That is the second lowest rating they’ve ever recorded for him, just behind -23% in August 2018 (38% approve, 61% disapprove).”
Gallup in their poll: “Trump closes out the second quarter of his second term in office having accomplished much of what he said he would do if elected. Yet, outside of his Republican base, relatively few Americans are pleased with his performance. His rating has fallen to the lowest point of his second term, essentially matching where he was at the same time in his first term, which is not much higher than his all-time worst rating. He also gets generally poor marks for handling key issues, including immigration and the economy, which were major focuses of his campaign.”
President Donald Trump on Truth Social over the weekend: “My Poll Numbers within the Republican Party, and MAGA, have gone up, significantly, since the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax was exposed by the Radical Left Democrats and, just plain ‘troublemakers.’ They have hit 90%, 92%, 93%, and 95%, in various polls, and are all Republican Party records. The General Election numbers are my highest, EVER! People like Strong Borders, and all of the many other things I have done. GOD BLESS AMERICA. MAGA!”
What Happens Next
The trajectory of Trump’s approval ratings suggests a volatile outlook as political attention shifts toward the 2026 midterms.
The president’s party tends to lose seats in midterm elections. During Trump’s first term, Democrats picked up 40 seats in the House in the 2018 midterm election.
Significant approval declines among independents, women, men, and younger voters could compromise Republican chances of retaining control in Congress.