WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump’s job approval rating has fallen five percentage points to 36%, the lowest of his second term, while disapproval has risen to 60%. The latest decline follows three months of stability, with 40% to 41% of Americans expressing approval of his handling of the presidency. His prior second-term low point in approval was a statistically similar 37% in July, and his all-time low was 34% in 2021, at the end of his first term after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
The latest findings are from a Nov. 3-25 Gallup poll that spanned off-year elections, which resulted in gains for Democrats. In addition, the poll was conducted as the federal government shutdown became the longest in U.S. history before its eventual resolution on Nov. 12.
Both Republicans’ and independents’ ratings of Trump have worsened significantly since last month. Republicans’ approval has fallen seven points to 84%, while independents’ has slipped eight points to 25%. Republicans’ rating is the lowest of Trump’s second term, while independents’ is the worst in either term. Trump’s prior low point among independents, 29%, was last recorded in July and, prior to that, was only seen once before, in August 2017.
Meanwhile, Democrats’ rating of the president remains mired in the low single digits (3%).
Trump Rated Best on Crime, Worst on Healthcare, Ukraine, Federal Budget
Trump is also rated more negatively than positively on nine foreign and domestic issues, but his approval ratings for four of these — crime (43%), foreign affairs (41%), foreign trade (39%) and immigration (37%) — exceed his overall job rating.
His ratings on the other five issues match or trail his overall rating and include the economy (36%), the situation in the Middle East between the Israelis and Palestinians (33%), the federal budget (31%), the situation in Ukraine (31%), and healthcare policy (30%). Notably, the federal budget and healthcare policy are specifically related to the government shutdown.
Trump’s handling of most of the issues, all but crime and healthcare, was measured earlier this year, in July and August. Each of the current ratings is in line with the prior ones, but there has been a significant erosion in approval since February for Trump’s handling of immigration (-9 points), the situation in the Middle East (-7 points) and the economy (-6 points). Since March, Trump’s ratings have declined by double digits on the federal budget (-12 points) and the situation in Ukraine (-10 points).
Large majorities of Republicans, ranging from 67% to 88%, now approve of Trump’s handling of the nine issues, with the situation in Ukraine and healthcare policy garnering the lowest ratings. Independents’ approval ratings range from 22% to 38%, while no more than 8% of Democrats approve of his handling of any of the issues.
Congressional Approval Rating Remains Low
After dropping 11 points in October to 15% amid the federal government shutdown, Americans’ approval of the job Congress is doing is essentially unchanged at 14%, with disapproval at 80%.
Though low, the current reading is not quite as poor as the all-time 9% low point that was recorded shortly after the 2013 federal government shutdown ended. In contrast, during the 2018-2019 government shutdown that was the longest before this year’s surpassed it, Americans’ rating of Congress was not significantly affected, as it remained near 20%.
Republicans currently continue to offer a more positive rating of the Republican-led Congress than Democrats do, but the party gap is much narrower than it was earlier this year, as Republicans’ approval has sunk to 23% from 54% in September, before the shutdown began. Meanwhile, 15% of independents and 4% of Democrats now approve of the way Congress is handling its job.
Bottom Line
The longest shutdown of the federal government, election losses for the Republican Party and continued concerns about affordability appear to have damaged Trump’s standing with the American people in November, especially Republicans and independents. His overall job approval rating is down to the lowest point of his second term, and it is approaching the low from his first term. His ratings on individual domestic issues such as the economy, immigration and the federal budget deficit, which were previously areas of relative strength for him, are no longer.
Reduced majorities of Republicans approve of his overall job and his actions on many of the issues, and independents offer increasingly negative assessments of Trump. Coupled with the recent electoral losses for the Republican Party, this could be a sign of trouble for Republicans in next year’s midterm elections, when the GOP will try to maintain full control of the federal government.
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