Approve
43%
April 2026 average
Disapprove
55%
April 2026 average
Net Approval
−12
Points below water
Independent Approval
38%
Down from 48% at inaug.
Monthly Tracking — January to April 2026
| Month | Approve | Disapprove | Net | R Approve | D Approve | I Approve | Key Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | 44% | 53% | −9 | 89% | 8% | 42% | Post-holiday; economy still expanding; tariff threats not yet biting |
| February 2026 | 43% | 54% | −11 | 88% | 7% | 40% | Tariff announcements cause market turbulence; first price increases visible |
| March 2026 | 41% | 56% | −15 | 86% | 6% | 37% | Q1 GDP tracking below zero; consumer confidence plummets; lowest approval |
| April 2026 Latest | 43% | 55% | −12 | 87% | 7% | 38% | Slight partisan consolidation; R base reassembles around tariff framing |
Sources: Gallup, Reuters/Ipsos, YouGov, Quinnipiac, Morning Consult 7-day rolling averages. Partisan breakdown from Gallup monthly party crosstabs.
Approval Trend: Jan 2025 – Apr 2026
Trump's second-term approval began with a 47% inauguration bump, declined steadily through 2025, and fell to a low of 41% in March 2026 as economic conditions deteriorated. The April 2026 slight recovery to 43% reflects partisan consolidation around the tariff policy rather than genuine improvement in broad public support.
Approval by Political Group — April 2026
Republicans
87%
Approve — strong base support intact
Independents
38%
Approve — down from 48% at inauguration
Democrats
7%
Approve — historically low cross-partisan support
Why independents are decisive: Republican base support at 87% is consistent with modern polarization and does not swing elections. The 38% independent approval is the politically decisive figure — every president who triggered a wave midterm loss saw independent approval fall below 40% before Election Day. Trump's 38% puts him squarely in that danger zone. In 2018, Trump's independent approval was 36% before Democrats gained 41 House seats.
| Demographic Group | Approve | Disapprove | Net | Trend vs. Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republicans | 87% | 11% | +76 | Stable (+1) |
| Democrats | 7% | 91% | −84 | Stable (0) |
| Independents | 38% | 57% | −19 | Down 4 pts |
| Men | 50% | 47% | +3 | Down 3 pts |
| Women | 37% | 62% | −25 | Down 4 pts |
| White voters | 52% | 45% | +7 | Down 2 pts |
| Non-white voters | 28% | 68% | −40 | Down 5 pts |
| College-educated | 36% | 62% | −26 | Down 6 pts |
| Non-college | 51% | 46% | +5 | Down 1 pt |
| Suburban voters | 40% | 57% | −17 | Down 7 pts |
| Rural voters | 61% | 36% | +25 | Stable (+1) |
Historical Comparison: Trump 1st Term vs. 2nd Term vs. Other Presidents
Comparing presidential approval at the equivalent point in their presidency (approximately 14–15 months in). Trump's second-term 43% sits between his own first-term performance and the modern presidential average of approximately 46%.
| President / Term | Approval ~Month 15 | Net Approval | Midterm House Result | Key Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trump 2nd Term (current) | 43% | −12 | TBD Nov 2026 | Q1 GDP -0.3%; inflation 3.8%; tariff backlash |
| Trump 1st Term (2017) | 37% | −20 | R −41 seats | Russia investigation; healthcare bill failure; base firm |
| Obama 1st Term (2009) | 55% | +12 | D −63 seats | Financial crisis stimulus; Tea Party backlash forming |
| Obama 2nd Term (2013) | 47% | −3 | D −13 seats | ACA rollout struggles; NSA revelations; gridlock |
| George W. Bush (2001) | 62% | +26 | R +8 seats (2002) | Post-9/11 rally; unusual gain for president's party |
| George W. Bush (2005) | 46% | −4 | R −30 seats | Katrina; Iraq War; Plame affair; approval declining |
| Bill Clinton (1993) | 50% | +4 | D −54 seats | Gays in military; deficit; healthcare reform struggles |
| Bill Clinton (1997) | 58% | +18 | D +5 seats (1998) | Strong economy; re-elected 1996; Lewinsky not yet public |
| Joe Biden (2021) | 53% | +9 | D −9 seats | Post-COVID; inflation just beginning to accelerate |
| Ronald Reagan (1981) | 59% | +21 | R −26 seats | Tax cuts; recession deepening; Reaganomics debate |
Polling Sources & Methodology
Gallup
Weekly tracker, adults 18+. Gold standard for long-run historical comparisons. Party breakdown published monthly.
Reuters / Ipsos
Online panel, adults 18+. High frequency; separate likely voter and adult screens. Strong on independent samples.
YouGov
Online opt-in panel with post-stratification weighting. Strong on subgroup crosstabs.
Quinnipiac
Live telephone. Registered voters. Historically shows higher disapproval vs. online polls.
Morning Consult
Large daily tracking sample (10,000+ weekly). Very stable; minimal variance day-to-day.
Emerson College
Mixed-mode (IVR + online panel). Leans slightly Republican in house effect; included for balance.
Methodology: The monthly figures represent a calendar-month average across qualifying national polls. Polls with samples below 500 or field dates older than 31 days are excluded. Partisan breakdown figures are drawn exclusively from Gallup monthly crosstabs, which use the largest consistent sample for subgroup analysis.
