WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the partial federal government shutdown enters its third week in the U.S., Americans’ approval rating of Congress has declined by 11 percentage points to 15%, similar to approval a year ago. Nearly four in five U.S. adults, 79%, now disapprove.
At the same time, President Donald Trump’s job rating is steady, with 41% of Americans approving and 54% disapproving. Trump’s current approval rating is slightly higher than his average 40.3% in the third quarter, which spanned July 20 to Oct. 19.
These findings are from Gallup’s Oct. 1-16, 2025, poll that began on the first day of the government shutdown and ended less than a week after the Trump administration’s brokered ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war went into effect and hostages on both sides were freed.
Republicans’ Approval of Congress, but Not Trump, Drops Sharply
The 11-point drop in U.S. adults’ approval of Congress over the past month is owed largely to a sharp decline among Republicans and, to a lesser degree, independents. Amid the government shutdown, Republicans’ approval has sunk 21 points, and independents’ is down nine points. At 7% last month, Democrats’ approval of the Republican-controlled 119th Congress has had little room to fall and is now at 5%.
Since February, after the Republican Party assumed control of both houses of Congress and the presidency, Republicans’ approval of the body has ranged from 49% to 63%, while independents’ has only been as high as 26% and Democrats’ has been in single digits. The current decline in Republicans’ approval of Congress may reflect their disapproval of congressional Democrats.
Meanwhile, partisans’ ratings of the president are largely stable, with 91% of Republicans, 33% of independents and 6% of Democrats approving of the job he is doing.
Republicans’ unchanged rating of the president suggests that either their approval of Trump is unaffected by recent events or that the positive (Israel-Hamas ceasefire) and negative events (government shutdown) are offsetting each other.
Trump’s Third-Quarter Rating Is Below Average
Trump's approval rating averaged 40.3% in the third quarter spanning July 20 through Oct. 19. While his latest quarterly rating is better than the 36.9% measured in the third quarter of his first term, it trails Joe Biden’s third-quarter average of 44.7%. The only other president elected since World War II with a third-quarter rating under 50% in a first or non-consecutive second term is Bill Clinton, who registered 47.7% in 1993.
All other elected post-WWII presidents have had approval ratings above 50% in their third quarters. Barack Obama (52.9%), Ronald Reagan (56.8%) and Richard Nixon (59.7%) each registered ratings under 60%. Five others had ratings above 60%, including Jimmy Carter (60.2%), Dwight Eisenhower (68.3%), George H.W. Bush (69.0%), George W. Bush (71.5%) and John F. Kennedy (76.8%).
Trump is the only post-WWII president elected for a non-consecutive second term. A comparison of his current quarterly average with the 19th quarters of other presidents elected for a second term finds that only Nixon (31.8%) had a worse rating than Trump. Like Trump, George W. Bush (43.9%) and Obama (44.5%) had sub-50% third-quarter ratings in their second terms. Reagan, Clinton and Eisenhower all had majority-level quarterly ratings in their second presidential terms, ranging from 58.8% to 61.3%.
Bottom Line
As the federal government shutdown continues, congressional approval has dropped to the teens, with both parties frustrated by a standoff over a continuing spending bill. Meanwhile, Trump’s job approval rating remains steady among all party groups as he supports House Speaker Mike Johnson’s shutdown strategy while leading an unprecedented diplomatic process in the Middle East.
Still, Trump’s third-quarter average approval is well below the historical norm for first-term elected presidents and most, but not all, second-term presidents at a similar stage in their presidencies.
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Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works. View complete question responses and trends (PDF download).
