Donald Trump’s approval rating has taken a double dent over the past month, with both his overall support and his once-reliable economic approval slipping.
The drop comes amid growing fears and political backlash over his Liberation Day tariffs, which have sparked economic uncertainty and shaken confidence even among some of his core supporters.
Why It Matters
Trump began his second term with higher approval ratings than ever. But in recent weeks, polls have started to show his popularity rating firmly underwater after he released his new program of “Liberation Day” tariffs, which rocked markets and heightened concerns about inflation and a possible recession.
What To Know
In the latest Echelon Insights poll, conducted between May 8-12 among 1,000 likely voters, Trump’s approval rating had decreased by one point in the space of a month to 46 percent. His disapproval increased by one point to 52 percent.
The poll, which had a margin of error of +/- 3.8 percentage points, also showed that Trump’s net approval rating on the economy is sinking, with disapproval jumping by 2 points since April from 52 to 54 percent, while his approval has remained the same at 44 percent.
Nonetheless, the poll showed that fewer people now think the economic situation in the U.S. is getting worse, with only 50 percent saying so, down from 52 percent. And 36 percent now think the economic situation is improving, up from 30 percent, suggesting that fears about a possible recession may be dying down slightly.
It comes as Trump’s approval ratings have been in decline since the announcement of his “Liberation Day” tariffs. The sweeping move heightened anxiety over a potential recession and roiled the markets, triggering an immediate sell-off that was followed by a rebound days later.
But the president’s handling of the situation appears to have left voters feeling uneasy, with polls reflecting a dramatic erosion of public confidence in his job performance.
For example, in ActiVote’s latest poll, Trump’s approval rating stood at 45 percent, while 51 percent disapproved, giving the president a net approval of -6 points. ActiVote’s March poll showed Trump with a net approval rating of -1 point, with 48 percent approving and 49 percent disapproving. The poll had a margin of error of ± 4.1 percentage points.
And in the latest YouGov/Yahoo poll, conducted April 25-28 among 1,597 respondents, his approval dropped from 44 percent in March to 42 percent, while disapproval rose from 50 percent to 53 percent, widening his net negative from –6 to –11. The poll had a margin of error of ±2.9 percentage points.
However, recent polls have shown Trump’s approval ratings rebounding slightly as the backlash over his tariffs has died down.
According to the latest TIPP Insights poll, conducted between April 30 and May 2 among 1,400 adults, Trump’s net approval rating is at -5 points, with 42 percent approving and 47 percent disapproving. That is up from a net -7 point approval rating in early April when 43 percent approved and 50 percent disapproved. The latest poll had a margin of error of +/- 2.7 percentage points.
But polls show that Trump’s net approval has not changed much since mid-April, suggesting that while the president may not necessarily be becoming more popular, he is not becoming any less popular than he was when his tariffs were first announced.
For example, the latest YouGov poll, conducted between May 6 and 8 among 1,143, put Trump’s approval rating at 42 percent, with 50 percent disapproving. That means his approval rating is unchanged from the previous poll, while his disapproval rating has improved by 2 points. The same occurred in the latest Quantus Insights poll, conducted between May 5 and 7 among 1,000 registered voters. The poll had a margin of error of ±3.7 percentage points.
But even though Trump’s approval rating is stabilizing, polls still show that his approval ratings on the economy are deep underwater.
In Quantus’ latest poll, 51 percent said they disapprove of Trump’s handling of tariffs and trade policy.
And inflation remains a thorn—only 42 percent approve of his handling of the issue.
The latest AP-NORC survey, conducted between May 1 and 5 among 1,175 adults, showed even worse results for Trump, with just 36 percent approving of his handling of the economy, while 63 percent disapproved. That is a slight decline from April when 37 percent approved and 61 percent disapproved. The poll had a margin of error of ±4 percentage points.
What Happens Next
Trump’s approval rating could fluctuate in the coming weeks, depending on the outcome of key events, including critical negotiations in the Russia-Ukraine war, the evolving tariff situation and concerns about a recession.
The post Donald Trump’s Approval Rating Suffers Double Dent appeared first on Newsweek.
