President Donald Trump continues to polarize the electorate, with new polling showing the gap between his approval and disapproval ratings widening as voters’ “strong opinions” of the president harden.
Last week’s Economist/YouGov poll showed that 70 percent of U.S. adults either strongly approve or strongly disapprove of Trump’s job performance, compared with just 27 percent who express more moderate views. By contrast, in a January 19–21, 2025 survey conducted partly during Joe Biden’s presidency, 56 percent of Americans held strong opinions about him, while 39 percent expressed more moderate views.
Why It Matters
Trump has routinely touted positive approval ratings and polling while speaking at news conferences and campaign rallies, but the figures suggest that Trump remains a figure about whom few Americans have weak opinions, and show just how polarized the electorate has become.
With opposition far outpacing support, particularly among Democrats and very liberal voters, Trump faces an uphill battle to expand his base beyond a loyal Republican base.
What To Know
Among Americans with strong views of Trump, disapproval now far outpaces approval. Forty-seven percent strongly disapprove of his performance—more than double the 23 percent who strongly approve. The divide is sharply partisan: 83 percent of Democrats strongly disapprove of Trump, compared with 54 percent of Republicans who strongly approve. Similarly, 95 percent of “very liberal” Americans strongly disapprove, while 72 percent of “very conservative” voters strongly approve.
This intensity is a recent development. When Trump’s second term began in January 2025, 36 percent of Americans strongly disapproved, while 34 percent strongly approved. While the overall share of Americans with strong opinions has remained roughly steady at around 70 percent, the balance has shifted dramatically over the past year, with disapproval rising from 36 percent to 47 percent and strong approval falling from 34 percent to 23 percent.
The change is reflected across party lines. In January, 71 percent of Republicans strongly approved of Trump’s performance; today that number is 54 percent. Meanwhile, the share of Democrats who strongly disapprove has climbed from 71 percent to 83 percent.
Past presidents have also faced more intense disapproval than approval—for example, 42 percent of Americans strongly disapproved of Biden at the end of his term, three times the 14 percent who strongly approved. However, Trump’s widening gap highlights how opposition to him is currently far more intense than his support.
It comes as Newsweek’s tracker shows Trump’s net approval rating has dropped to its lowest point on record at -11 points, with 43 percent approving and 54 percent disapproving.
Recent polls have suggested that such discontent with Trump is being driven by voters’ views on a number of issues, including the economy, inflation, immigration and foreign policy.
The latest Echelon Insights survey, conducted between August 14-18, showed Trump underwater on every major issue.
Pollster G Elliott Morris’ tracker also shows Trump underwater on every issue, after having been above water at the beginning of his second term in January, as does the most recent YouGov/Economist polling.
The YouGov/Economist polling also shows that Trump’s approval ratings on major policy issues are deeply polarized, with more Americans strongly disapproving than strongly approving across nearly every category.
On jobs and the economy, Trump’s strongest field, 39 percent approve while 54 percent disapprove, leaving him with a net negative standing despite his emphasis on economic stewardship. Approval is driven more by intensity (24 percent strongly approve) than on many other issues, but it is overshadowed by the 41 percent who strongly disapprove.
And Inflation and prices remain a major political liability. Just 34 percent approve of his handling of the issue compared to 61 percent who disapprove—the widest margin in the dataset. With 47 percent strongly disapproving, this issue underscores a central vulnerability for Trump.
It comes as inflation climbed to 2.7 percent in June and remained the same in July, despite Trump’s campaign promise to “end inflation on Day One.” Meanwhile, job growth slowed sharply in July, with just 73,000 jobs added, down from 147,000 the month before, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
But it is not all negative for Trump. On immigration, he posts his most favorable numbers. A combined 46 percent approve versus 50 percent disapprove, suggesting that while the country is split, this issue offers him a competitive advantage relative to others. Notably, 34 percent strongly approve—the highest intensity of support across all policy areas—showing that immigration remains a core mobilizing issue for his base.
But while immigration remains his best issue, his approval rating has dropped significantly since February, when it stood at +11 points. It comes as the administration has pursued an aggressive set of policies resulting in many arrests, but slow progress on deportations of known undocumented immigrants convicted of major crimes, as well as clashes over deportations in cities like Los Angeles.
Polls have also suggested that backing for a hard-line approach to immigration is fading.
Gallup polling from last month showed that 30 percent of Americans now say immigration levels should be reduced, down from 55 percent in 2024. Support for maintaining or increasing immigration has risen across the board, including among Republicans.
More broadly, the number of Americans who view immigration as a “good thing” has reached an all-time high of 79 percent, the same poll shows, reversing a steady decline during Biden‘s presidency and surpassing levels from Trump’s first term.
In areas like climate change, education, and abortion, Trump is on weaker ground. Each sees more than half of Americans disapproving (52 percent on climate, 51 percent on education, 52 percent on abortion), with intensity of disapproval again higher than intensity of approval.
What People Are Saying
Senior YouGov Data journalist David Montgomery said: “None of this says anything about what Americans will think of Trump in the future. But an important part of understanding current political opinion is that right now, opposition to Trump is much more intense than his support is.”
President Donald Trump wrote this month on Truth Social: “Except what is written and broadcast in the Fake News, I now have the highest poll numbers I’ve ever had, some in the 60’s and even 70’s. Thank you. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”
What Happens Next
Pollsters and analysts noted how the low approvals could affect the political landscape heading into the 2026 midterms, since historical midterm trends have tended to work against the sitting president’s party.
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