Analysis
Trump Approval Rating History: 2025-2026 Week-by-Week
Published 2026-05-10 — USPollingData Analysis
38.8%
Current Approve
57.6%
Current Disapprove
-18.8
Net Approval
177
Days Until Midterms
Approval Rating Timeline: Inauguration to Present
| Period | Approve | Disapprove | Key Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inauguration (Jan 20, 2025) | 47% | 48% | Honeymoon period — close to tied |
| February 2025 | 45% | 50% | DOGE cuts begin; deportation surge |
| March 2025 | 43% | 52% | Tariff announcements; stock market volatility |
| April 2025 (Liberation Day) | 40% | 55% | “Liberation Day” tariff announcement; 90-day pause follows |
| May 2026 (current) | 38.8% | 57.6% | 15-month low approval; tariff impact visible in prices |
Approval by Subgroup (Current)
| Group | Approve | Disapprove |
|---|---|---|
| Republicans | 87% | 11% |
| Independents | 35% | 60% |
| Democrats | 7% | 91% |
| Men | 44% | 52% |
| Women | 34% | 62% |
| White non-college | 53% | 43% |
| College-educated | 32% | 65% |
Historical Context
At 38.8% approval, Trump is performing below several historical benchmarks:
- Obama at the same point in his second term: 44% approval
- Biden at his lowest point: 36.8% (briefly in July 2022)
- Trump in his first term lowest: 34% (December 2017)
- Historical threshold for large midterm losses: sub-45%
- Reagan in October 1982 (pre-wave): 42% — R lost 26 House seats
The 38.8% approval figure is an average of major pollsters including Gallup, NBC/WSJ, Reuters/Ipsos, Fox News, and Morning Consult. Individual polls vary from 36% (some partisan polls) to 43% (Rasmussen).