President Donald Trump’s overall disapproval rating has reached its zenith across his two nonconsecutive terms in the White House—according to a new poll from CNN conducted by SSRS—following a gradual rise in disfavor levels that have been shown in recent surveys throughout the year.
Trump also hit his lowest approval rating on the economy in either term, the poll also shows.
Trump has landed consecutive record or near‑record lows among key voting blocs recently, including Gen Z and independent voters, potentially compounding headwinds for the White House and GOP amid public concern over the cost of living and the war with Iran heading into the November midterm elections.
The polling news comes as a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report showed inflation jumped to its highest level in either of Trump’s terms.
What To Know
According to the poll released this week, Trump’s disapproval rating of 65 percent is the highest it has ever been. In a poll at the end of March, the president came close, with 64 percent, and in the February poll, he hit 63 percent disapproval. His overall approval rating is 35 percent in the latest survey.
The poll was taken from April 30 to May 4 among 1,499 respondents and has a 2.8 percent margin of error.
When Trump reentered office after winning the 2024 presidential election, his overall approval rating was 47 percent versus a 52 percent disapproval mark, as the latter barometer has steadily risen since, cracking the 60s for the first time this term in a survey at the end of October 2025.
Trump’s net approval rating has also matched a low with three weeks at -22 percent, the same as former President Joe Biden’s lowest consecutive numbers, a new poll from The Economist/YouGov shows this week. His overall approval rating is 36 percent, and his disapproval rating 58 percent for a net rating of minus-22. He had the same approval and disapproval rating in last week’s poll. In a poll taken April 24-27, the president’s approval rating was 37 percent versus a 59 percent disapproval.
YouGov’s Allen Houston in an email to Newsweek on Tuesday said in part: “Trump’s average net approval over the past three weeks of -22 is a record low for his two terms. Trump’s average net approval of -22 over the last three weeks also matches the lowest net approval Joe Biden ever averaged over three consecutive weeks in his term in office.”
White House spokesman Kush Desai previously told Newsweek on Tuesday when asked about the polling lows: “President Trump was resoundingly re-elected to the White House precisely because he understood how Americans were left behind by Joe Biden’s economic disaster, and restoring prosperity for everyday Americans has accordingly been a Day One priority for this Administration. While the President has been clear about short-term disruptions as a result of Operation Epic Fury, the Administration is focused on implementing the proven Trump agenda of tax cuts, deregulation, and energy abundance to keep America on a solid economic trajectory.
“As traffic in the Strait of Hormuz normalizes again, Americans will again see gas prices plummet, real wages grow, inflation cool, and trillions in investments continue pouring in.”
Trump Hits New Low on the Economy
Trump’s approval rating on the economy is 30 percent versus a 70 percent disapproval rating, in the CNN poll.
On the economy, Trump has never hit 30 percent approval with the pollster covering both of his terms in office. The closest he has come was in the survey taken at the end of March, where he hit 31 percent. The president’s disapproval rating on the economy has also never been this high. The poll at the end of March was the closest, with 69 percent.
What Other Polls Show
Trump’s approval rating had recently slumped to its lowest point at 35 percent in aggregate polling, while his disapproval rating sat at 64 percent, according to CNN’s Poll of Polls earlier this month.
The Poll of Polls tracks the president’s average approval and disapproval ratings in national surveys and does not have a margin of error. According to CNN, Trump’s approval average has been in the upper 30s since January, spiking to 40 percent in February.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll taken from May 8 to May 11 shows the president’s overall approval rating at 36 percent versus a 63 percent disapproval rating, resulting in a net approval of -27 percent. In the previous survey by the pollster, Trump’s net approval rating was -30 percent.
In an earlier survey by The Economist/YouGov this month, Trump’s approval rating on jobs and the economy was 34 percent versus a 58 percent disapproval rating. The poll was taken from May 1 to May 4, 2026, among 1573 U.S. adults with a margin of error of 3.4 percent.
In a new survey from the pollster on Tuesday, 23 percent say the economy is excellent or good versus 74 percent who find it fair or poor. The poll also shows that 59 percent think the U.S. financial sphere is worsening, compared to 15 percent who say it’s on the rise and 20 percent who believe it’s about the same.
That poll was taken from May 9 to May 11 among 1,549 U.S. adults, with a margin of error of 3.5 percent.
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