President Donald Trump's approval rating has declined to 37%, marking the lowest point of his second term, according to an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll. His disapproval stands at a record high of 62% across both his presidential terms. The survey reflects deep public discontent over economic conditions, international tensions, and Trump's policy direction on multiple fronts.
Two-thirds of Americans say the country is moving in the wrong direction, with particularly stark majorities among Democrats and independents holding this view. Concerns about the economy dominate public sentiment, with roughly three-quarters of Americans disapproving of how Trump is handling the cost of living and inflation. About 65% disapprove of his overall economic stewardship, a record-high disapproval rating on this issue across both his terms and comparable to former President Joe Biden's worst economic approval rating.
Trump maintains strong support among his base. Fully 85% of Republicans approve of him, though the share who strongly approve has dropped to 45%, down from 53% in September. Among self-described MAGA Republicans, 95% approve overall, with 61% strongly approving. Support among non-MAGA Republicans falls to 64%, with only 13% strongly approving. His approval among independents has hit a record low for both terms at just 25%.
On specific policy areas, majorities disapprove of Trump's handling of Iran relations (66%), U.S. alliances (65%), taxes (60%), and immigration broadly (59%). His strongest approval comes on the U.S.-Mexico border situation, where 45% approve and 54% disapprove—still slightly worse than his February ratings.
Beyond approval ratings, substantial majorities question Trump's character and fitness for office. About 7 in 10 Americans say he is not honest and trustworthy. Two-thirds say he does not carefully consider important decisions, and roughly 6 in 10 say he lacks the mental sharpness to serve as president. Over half say he is not in good physical health to serve effectively and that he is not a strong leader.
Regarding the upcoming midterm elections, Democrats hold a 5-point advantage in House vote preference, with 49% favoring Democratic candidates and 44% supporting Republicans. This represents a slight increase from a 2-point Democratic edge in earlier polls. Among independents, Democrats lead by 20 points. Democratic voters report higher motivation, with 61% saying their vote is much more important than past midterms, compared to 35% of Republicans. However, Republican certainty to vote has increased to 72%, up from 65% in February.
Four policies championed or enacted by Trump face substantial opposition. Cutting federal medical research funding is opposed by 78% of Americans, including 60% of MAGA Republicans. Increasing defense spending to $1.5 trillion is opposed by 65% overall, though two-thirds of Republicans support it. About 65% oppose ending birthright citizenship, while roughly 60% of Republicans support the measure. Ending temporary legal status for migrants is opposed by 60%, with two-thirds of Republicans in favor.
The poll surveyed 2,560 U.S. adults with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
