Story Highlights
- Independents’ rating of Trump down to 29%, matching their all-time low
- Trump’s 40% second-quarter approval rating is below average historically
- Trump’s favorable rating at 41%
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Six months into his second term, President Donald Trump’s job approval rating has dipped to 37%, the lowest of this term and just slightly higher than his all-time worst rating of 34% at the end of his first term. Trump’s rating has fallen 10 percentage points among U.S. adults since he began his second term in January, including a 17-point decline among independents, to 29%, matching his lowest rating with that group in either of his terms.
For their part, Republicans’ ratings have remained generally steady near 90% and Democrats have been consistently in the low single digits.
These latest findings are from a July 7-21, 2025, Gallup poll, which began days after Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on July 4. The law addresses many of Trump’s second-term priorities, including tax cuts for individuals and corporations and increased spending for border security, defense and energy production. It also cuts funding for healthcare and nutrition programs such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to offset some of the costs of the tax cuts and spending increases.
Trump’s Handling of Iran, Foreign Affairs Rated Highest, but Still Underwater
Trump’s ratings for handling each of eight separate foreign and domestic issues are also generally poor. He earns the highest marks for his handling of the situation with Iran (42%) and foreign affairs (41%). Approval is slightly lower for his job on immigration (38%), the economy (37%), the situation in the Middle East between the Israelis and Palestinians (36%), and foreign trade (36%). Americans’ ratings of Trump’s handling of the situation in Ukraine (33%) and the federal budget (29%) are even lower.
Apart from the situation with Iran, which was not previously measured in Trump’s second term, ratings on each of the issues are lower now than earlier this year. These include a 14-point drop for the federal budget and eight-point declines for immigration and the situation in Ukraine.
Republicans broadly approve of Trump’s job on each issue, with his handling of foreign affairs garnering the highest rating (93%). Aside from the situation in Ukraine, which earns approval from 70% of Republicans, his ratings on the other issues range from 81% to 88% within his party.
Democrats’ highest rating of Trump’s handling of the eight issues is 12% for the situation in Ukraine, and all of the other issues are in single digits. Meanwhile, no more than 36% of independents approve of the president’s job performance on any of the issues. The situation with Iran earns him the highest approval from independents, at 36%, and the federal budget the lowest (19%).
Trump’s Second-Quarter Job Approval Rating Similar to First-Term Record Low
During Trump’s second quarter of his second term, which spanned April 20 through July 19, he averaged 40% job approval, a figure similar to his first-term second-quarter average of 39%. It is well below the 59% average second-quarter rating for all post-World War II presidents elected from 1952 to 2020. Bill Clinton (44%) is the only president other than Trump to have a sub-majority approval rating during his second quarter, which usually coincided with a president’s honeymoon phase.
Trump’s second-quarter average also compares unfavorably with those of two-term presidents in their second presidential term. Richard Nixon’s 44% approval rating in the second quarter of 1973 amid the unfolding Watergate scandal is the closest to Trump’s current rating. Barack Obama and George W. Bush were also below 50% in the second quarter of their second term, while Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan and Clinton each enjoyed majority-level approval at comparable points.
Trump’s Favorable Rating Down Seven Points Since January to 41%
Trump’s current 41% favorable rating is down from two 48% readings recorded shortly after the 2024 election and just after his inauguration in January. The November and January ratings were similar to his personal bests — a 50% reading in 2005 and a 49% reading in April 2020.
Republicans remain nearly unanimous in their favorable view of the president, with a steady 93% viewing Trump positively. Democrats’ latest 4% favorable rating is also little changed from January’s 7%. Just as independents’ approval rating of Trump has tumbled since his inauguration, so too has their favorable rating, which is down from 47% in January to 34% now.
Bottom Line
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.
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