Donald Trump’s Approval Rating is Making Gains With Key Group: Polls

President Donald Trump‘s approval rating with men has steadily increased week over week in the past month, polls from The Economist and YouGov show.

Why It Matters

Trump has routinely touted positive approval ratings and polls during news conferences and campaign rallies throughout his political career.

When the president returned to the White House in January, he coasted in with positive numbers. However, his approval ratings then dipped significantly amid sweeping tariff announcements. Trump later walked back the tariffs by announcing a 90-day pause for the majority.

Slipping in polls could ultimately hinder Trump’s political clout in an already highly polarized climate and potentially hurt Republican chances in the upcoming 2026 midterms.

What To Know

In a new poll out Tuesday, the president’s approval rating among men is 50 percent. The poll surveyed 1710 U.S. adult citizens from May 16 to May 19. The margin of error is 3.2 percent.

Trump’s gains with the key group have steadily grown from 45 percent in a survey taken on April 19 to April 22. The April poll surveyed 1625 U.S. adult citizens with a margin of error of 3.3 percent.

Trump’s approval with men reached its highest so far during his second term in a February poll with a 56 percent rating. The survey was taken February 16 to February 18 among 1603 U.S. adult citizens. The margin of error was 3.3 percent.

There have been mixed polls across the board in recent weeks as some show Trump’s overall approval rating surging while others show him sliding to match his lowest overall during his second term.

What People Are Saying

Political analyst Craig Agranoff told Newsweek via text message on Tuesday when commenting about an Ipsos and Reuters poll: “His approval rating dipping to 42% in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll signals a troubling trend for his administration, particularly as it aligns with growing public unease over economic policies like tariffs and concerns about governance amid understaffed agencies.”

Agranoff added: “Given the consistent downward trajectory we’ve seen in recent polls, with disapproval climbing to around 51%, this negative trend could persist unless there’s a significant policy win or shift in public perception. A president typically becomes concerned with low approval ratings when they fall below 40% for a sustained period, as this erodes political capital, weakens legislative leverage, and risks alienating key voter groups; especially independents and moderates, who have shown notable disapproval in recent data.

“For Trump, the challenge will be addressing these economic and credibility concerns swiftly to reverse the slide,” Agranoff concluded.

Former Obama official Steven Rattner on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday: “Trump’s 100-day-in approval rating is lower than that of any other president in the last 60 years. The next lowest is Trump’s first term. My @Morning_Joe Chart”