Ten months into his first term and less than a year before the crucial midterm elections, Americans are giving President Donald Trump awful marks on his job performance.
According to a new poll from the Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, just a third of respondents — only 33 percent — said they approve of how Trump is managing the federal government. That’s a 10 percent drop from the number of Americans who said they approved of his management in a similar survey taken in March.
The survey of 1,143 adults, conducted from Nov. 6 to Nov. 10, also found that Trump’s approval rating among self-identified Republicans has taken a hit amid what was the longest government shutdown in history.
The poll found that just 68 percent of GOP-identified respondents said they approve of Trump’s management of the federal government, down from 81 percent who said they approved in March.
Among respondents who identified themselves as Independent, only a quarter — 25 percent — said they approve of his management of the government, representing a stunning 13 percent drop from March when 38 percent voiced approval of his performance.
Although Republicans have generally given Trump steadfast support throughout his 10 tumultuous years atop the GOP political scene, the drop in support from his own party could portend a rough election year ahead for Republicans in their quest to retain unified control of Washington by maintaining their majorities in the House and Senate next year.
While voters’ views of Trump’s management of the government have dipped markedly in recent months, his approval rating has remained steady, albeit at a low level of 36 percent overall — down just one percentage point from a similar survey last month.
And that’s not the only area where Trump’s approval declined. His rating for the economy sits at 33 percent, down three points from September, while 67 percent of Americans disapprove of his performance on the economy, a five-point increase since last month.
The numbers come after Trump largely ran for president year on lowering costs in the wake of post-Covid inflation. But many Americans disapprove of his “Liberation Day” reciprocal tariffs, which have increased the prices of everything from coffee to bananas.
Last week, Democrats ranging from socialist Zohran Mamdani in New York City’s mayoral race to centrist Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey’s gubernatorial race emphasized affordability and reducing costs. But Trump has brushed off the affordability talking point as “a con job by the Democrats.”
The government shutdown happened largely because Democrats wanted to include an extension of Covid-era subsidies to the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplace.
Democrats and many health care experts warn that if the subsidies expire, the 24 million Americans who get their insurance through the marketplace will see their premiums double or even triple in some cases.
While only 34 percent of Americans approve of how Trump has handled health care, that number increased from 31 percent in October and his disapproval fell by two points from 67 to 65 percent.
But Americans have soured on Trump’s performance on immigration as his administration has gone far beyond targeting violent criminals. In March, 49 percent of Americans approved of Trump’s performance on immigration and 50 percent disapproved. Now, only 42 percent of Americans approve of his immigration and 57 percent disapproved.
