President Donald Trump’s job approval has fallen to its lowest point of his second term as voters report declining confidence in his personal traits and governing judgment, according to a new Pew Research Center survey released this week.
The erosion is no longer confined to Democrats, with notable slippage among Republicans and even within Trump’s own 2024 voter coalition.
The findings complicate Trump’s governing position heading into a contentious election cycle, raising questions about enthusiasm, turnout, and coalition stability.
But the president has pushed back on negative interpretations of his approval rating, telling NewsMax in a phone interview earlier this week, “It is a problem I’m not on the ballot. Everyone says if I was on a ballot we’d win in a landslide. I have some of the best poll numbers I’ve ever had.”
Newsweek has reached out to the White House for further comment.
Why It Matters
Presidential approval rarely hinges on one issue alone; it is shaped by voters’ broader judgments about character, competence, and trust.
Pew’s latest data suggest that doubts about Trump’s personal qualities are now bleeding into assessments of his performance on core policy areas.
A Broad Decline in Approval and Personal Traits
A national survey conducted by the Pew Research Center between April 20 and April 26 among 5,103 U.S. adults finds Trump’s job approval at 34 percent, the lowest level of his second term.
Most of the survey’s interviews were completed before the April 25 shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
The survey was conducted online and by telephone using Pew’s nationally representative American Trends Panel, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 1.6 percentage points.
Trump’s decline extends beyond overall approval.
Americans’ assessments of Trump’s personal qualities have eroded steadily over the past several months, continuing a trend that began shortly after his landslide reelection in November 2024.
Slippage on Promise-Keeping and Perceived Sharpness
One of the steepest drops comes on whether Trump “keeps his promises.” Just 38 percent of respondents say this describes him very or fairly well, down from 43 percent in August 2025, and from 51 percent shortly after the 2024 election.
Perceptions of mental acuity have also declined. In the April 20–26 survey, 44 percent describe Trump as “mentally sharp,” down four points since last August.
While still higher than his overall approval rating, the downward movement suggests growing voter unease rather than a stable baseline.
Most Americans continue to view Trump as someone who stands up for what he believes in, with 64 percent saying this trait describes him well.
Even here, however, support has slipped from 68 percent last summer.
Confidence Drops on Immigration, Military Force, and Governance
Public confidence in Trump’s decision-making on key policy areas has also weakened. Forty‑one percent now say they are very or somewhat confident he can make good decisions on immigration, down from 46 percent in August and 53 percent shortly after his 2024 reelection.
Confidence in Trump’s handling of military force has fallen more sharply. Just 38 percent of Americans now express confidence he would use military power wisely, compared with 46 percent last summer.
Views of Trump’s economic decision‑making have been more stable by comparison. Forty‑two percent express confidence today, down slightly from 44 percent in August.
Despite remaining one of Trump’s better‑rated issues, more Americans remain unconvinced than confident on the economy.
Softening Support Inside the GOP
The erosion in standing is not confined to Democrats. Among Republicans and Republican‑leaning independents, 68 percent approve of Trump’s job performance, down from 73 percent in January.
Seventy percent of Republicans say Trump keeps his promises, a decline of six points from last year and fourteen points since November 2024.
Confidence among Republicans that Trump would use military force wisely has dropped eleven points over the past year, while overall GOP confidence on foreign policy has fallen seven points.
By contrast, Democratic opposition remains near‑universal. Just 5 percent of Democrats and Democratic leaners approve of Trump’s performance, little changed from the beginning of his second term.
Warning Signs Inside Trump’s 2024 Coalition
Approval has also slipped among Trump’s own 2024 voters. Seventy‑eight percent now approve of his job performance, down from 83 percent in January and from 95 percent at the start of his term.
The decline is most pronounced among younger and Hispanic supporters. Just 57 percent of Trump voters under 35 currently approve, compared with 87 percent of those aged 50 and older.
Approval among Hispanic Trump voters has fallen 27 points since early 2025, to 66 percent, compared with a 14‑point decline among White Trump voters.
Support has fallen sharply among Americans who did not vote in 2024 as well. Only 26 percent of nonvoters now approve of Trump, down from 30 percent in January and 45 percent in early 2025.
What Happens Next
With approval softening across personal traits and key policy areas, future polling will show whether these declines stabilize—or deepen—as Trump faces mounting political pressures from within his own coalition.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle told Newsweek on Friday that, “The ultimate poll was November 5th 2024 when nearly 80 million Americans overwhelmingly elected President Trump to deliver on his popular and commonsense agenda.
“No other President in history has accomplished more for the American people than President Trump, who is working tirelessly to create jobs, cool inflation, increase housing affordability, and more. The President has already made historic progress not only in America but around the world, and this is just the beginning as his agenda continues taking effect.”
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