Trump Approval Falls Below 40% in Latest National Polls

President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen below 40% in several recent national polls, with the latest CBS News/YouGov survey placing his job approval at 39%, a level similar to where he stood during the same stage of his first term. The series of surveys also points to growing voter concerns about the economy, the conflict with Iran and the political outlook ahead of the 2026 congressional midterm elections.

The CBS News/YouGov poll, conducted from July 21 to July 24 among 2,193 U.S. adults with a margin of error of 2.7 percentage points, found 39% approve of Trump’s job performance while 61% disapprove. Support for U.S. military action against Iran also declined, falling from 44% in March to 39%. Regarding the conflict, 37% of respondents believe the war will continue for months, 21% expect it to last for years, 9% think it will end within days or weeks, and 33% remain uncertain. Gallup recorded Trump’s approval rating at 40% during the week of July 23-28, 2018, in his first presidency.

A Pew Research Center survey released on July 23 found Trump’s approval rating unchanged at 34%, with 64% disapproving of his performance. The survey, conducted July 6-12 among 3,554 U.S. adults with a margin of error of 1.9 percentage points, also showed Democrats leading Republicans by six points on the generic congressional ballot, while 20% of voters remained undecided. Most respondents said Trump would influence their midterm vote, with 42% saying they planned to vote against him and 22% saying they intended to vote in support of him.

An Emerson College poll released the same day reported a 39% approval rating and 57% disapproval rating among 1,100 likely U.S. voters surveyed July 19-20. The poll showed Trump’s approval unchanged over the previous two months while his disapproval increased by one point. It also found Democrats holding an 11-point advantage on the generic congressional ballot.

Earlier in July, CNBC’s survey of 1,000 voters conducted July 8-12 recorded Trump’s approval at 40% and disapproval at 59%, while his approval on economic issues stood at 38% compared with 60% disapproval, producing the lowest economic approval rating of his political career. The poll also found 61% of respondents were pessimistic about current economic conditions and future prospects, the highest level recorded since December 2023.

A Washington Post/Ipsos poll released on July 16 found Trump’s approval rating at 37%, matching its April findings, while 61% disapproved of his performance. The survey, conducted among 2,648 U.S. adults from July 8-13, reported approval ratings below 40% for Trump’s handling of the economy, immigration and the conflict with Iran. It also found that 48% of Americans believe the economy will improve over the next year, while 43% said they are financially worse off than they were during former President Joe Biden’s administration.

The latest Associated Press-NORC survey, conducted June 11-17 among 3,040 adults, found Trump’s overall approval rating holding steady at 37%. Approval of his handling of the Iran conflict remained at 34%, while 53% said U.S. military action against Iran had gone too far, down six percentage points from March. The poll was conducted as Washington and Tehran reached a tentative agreement aimed at ending the conflict, easing some economic pressures, including lower gasoline prices, although questions remain over whether the administration’s stated objective of limiting Iran’s nuclear program will ultimately be achieved.

Reuters/Ipsos polling conducted June 12-15 showed Trump’s approval increasing by one point to 36%, compared with its earlier June survey. Approval of his handling of the cost of living also rose from 20% in May to 24%. Earlier Reuters/Ipsos polling from June 3-8 placed his approval at 35% and disapproval at 63%, while 59% of respondents expected gas prices to continue rising because of the Iran conflict. Only 22% approved of Trump’s handling of living costs, compared with the 29% approval rating Joe Biden received on that issue when he left office.

A Marquette Law School poll conducted May 20-26 found Trump’s approval at 38%, down one point from April and the lowest level recorded in the institution’s nine second-term surveys. Approval of his handling of the economy slipped to 30%, while inflation registered 22% approval and gas prices 19%. Meanwhile, the Harvard CAPS/Harris poll conducted May 29-31 showed Trump’s approval ticking up to 43%, one point higher than the 42% low reached in April.

Trump’s current standing closely mirrors Joe Biden’s approval rating during the same stage of his presidency. According to Gallup, Biden registered a 38% approval rating in July 2022. Trump began his second term with a 52% approval rating and 43% disapproval, according to The New York Times polling average. Support declined following the announcement of his “Liberation Day” tariffs in April and again after the Iran conflict began at the end of February. Economic concerns have remained central for many voters, while rising fuel prices linked to the conflict have further affected public sentiment. At the same time, several recent surveys suggest Democrats hold an advantage heading into the 2026 midterm elections, although a notable share of voters remains undecided.