Trump New Approval Rating Raises Eyebrows
President Donald Trump’s approval rating has slipped modestly, according to a newly released survey from the Pew Research Center, though his support among Republican voters remains largely intact.
The poll, published Thursday, places Trump’s overall approval at 37 percent — down three points from last fall. While national numbers have softened, nearly three-quarters of Republicans, 73 percent, say they still approve of Trump’s performance in office.
As expected, the survey highlights deep partisan divisions. Only 25 percent of Republicans said they disapprove of Trump’s job performance, compared with 94 percent of Democrats. Just 5 percent of Democrats expressed approval.
When asked whether the administration’s actions since returning to office last year met expectations, half of respondents said they were worse than anticipated. About 21 percent said Trump exceeded expectations, while roughly one-quarter said his actions were largely in line with what they expected.
Support for Trump’s policy agenda also declined modestly. Just 27 percent of Americans said they support all or most of his policies, down from 35 percent earlier in his second term. Pew researchers noted that this shift was driven primarily by reduced enthusiasm among Republicans.
The survey also measured public confidence in Trump across several leadership traits, including decision-making, leadership ability, and overall fitness for office. Confidence fell slightly across multiple categories compared with earlier polling.
Respondents expressed less confidence than last year in Trump’s ethical conduct, respect for democratic institutions, and ability to select effective advisers. Overall confidence in Trump’s ethics declined by eight points since February 2025.
At the beginning of Trump’s second term, 55 percent of Republicans said they were very or extremely confident he would act ethically in office. That figure has since dropped to 42 percent. Overall confidence in Trump’s ethics — already relatively low last year at 29 percent — declined another eight points.
Independent voters showed some of the largest declines in approval, as the administration continues to face political and media scrutiny over immigration enforcement and border security operations.
The survey was conducted as national attention focused on a recent fatal incident involving a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis, the second such incident involving federal law enforcement this month. Democratic leaders have criticized the administration’s immigration approach in response.
In Washington, Senate Democrats recently blocked a Department of Homeland Security funding bill, arguing it did not impose sufficient limits on Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The move increased the possibility of a partial government shutdown.
Among Democratic voters, opposition to Trump remains strong. The poll found that 82 percent believe their congressional leaders should resist the president even if it complicates efforts to address major national issues.
The Pew survey was conducted January 20 through January 26 among 8,512 U.S. adults and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 1.4 percentage points.
