What Americans think of Trump’s presidency
Image: USA Today
We’re approaching two months since President Trump was inaugurated for his second term. And for many Americans, the White House has been doing a historically good job, while the modern Democratic Party has never been in a worse state.
- More registered voters say the US is currently heading in the right direction (44%) than at any point since early 2004, according to an NBC News poll published yesterday. President Trump’s job approval rating also currently equals the best-ever mark of his political career (47%).
- At the same time, a majority of Americans still believe the country is currently on the wrong track (54%), while disapprove of Trump’s job performance thus far (51%).
Some individual policies aren’t as popular. Approval for Trump’s early job performance on the economy (44% approve; 54% disapprove), cost of living (42% approve; 55% disapprove), and Department of Government Efficiency (41% approve; 47 disapprove) are below his overall average. It also marks the first time in NBC News polling that Trump has ever had a majority of Americans against his handling of the economy.
The elephant donkey in the room
Opinions regarding the Democratic Party reached an all-time low in NBC News polling dating back to 1990. The data echoes results from CNN's latest polling, in which the Democratic Party also held its lowest-ever favorability rating.
- 27% of Americans have positive views of the Democratic Party – down from 39% positive as recently as September – while 55% have negative views, per NBC News.
- Those figures are noticeably worse than the Republican Party (39% positive; 49% negative).
- The recent drop in the Democratic Party’s image has largely been driven by independent voters, where 11% currently have positive views and 56% have negative views.
Looking ahead…Despite the overall trends in popularity, NBC News data shows the 2026 midterms are a closely divided battle: 48% of voters say they prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress, 47% back Republicans, and 5% aren’t sure.
đź“Š Flash poll: In general, do you approve or disapprove of the job Donald Trump is doing as president?
See a 360° view of what pundits are saying →
Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that topline numbers from recent polling fail to capture an important factor: support for Trump and his policies is heavily dependent on support from members of his party, while non-GOP Americans are almost universally opposed.
- Others contend that Trump hasn’t done anything to build popular support for his policies or broaden his personal base, with a central part of the problem being his lack of focus on the main issues affecting everyday Americans: the economy, and especially cost of living.
- “Trump’s agenda is broadly rejected by non-Republicans” –Philip Bump, Washington Post
- “Trump’s first 5 weeks in the polls” –E.J. Dionne, Jr. and Max Keeney, Brookings
- “Trump’s honeymoon is over” –Aaron Blake, Washington Post
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that even though polls show Trump with a slightly positive net approval rating, the margin of Americans who agree with Trump’s ultimate goal of a downsized government is far higher, giving him a strong mandate to enact significant change.
- Others contend that Trump has been blessed with exceptional political instincts – and enemies (Democrats) who seem intent on strengthening him further every chance they get, and alienating themselves with the vast majority of American people.
- “Downsizing Government: Still Popular” –James Freeman, WSJ
- “Trump and everyday Americans are not tired of winning, even if Democrats are” –Brian Morgenstern, Washington Times
- “The Democratic Party’s Chris Murphy problem” –Washington Examiner Editorial Board
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