New Poll Shows Trump Holding Strong Two Months In Office
President Donald Trump has declared that America is "back" as he highlights his numerous achievements, some of which have sparked controversy, since assuming office nine weeks ago.
Through a range of executive orders and decisions, Trump has swiftly expanded his executive authority, challenged long-standing governmental policies, and significantly reduced the size of the federal workforce during his second term, according to a report by Fox News.
Fox News has also tallied that Trump has authorized approximately 100 executive orders since his inauguration on January 20. This pace surpasses that of any recent president within their first few weeks in office.
Although the president asserts that "a lot of great things are happening," the most recent polling suggests that many Americans do not share his optimistic perspective on his performance.
A Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted over the past weekend (March 22–23) found that 46% of respondents approved of Trump, whereas 51% expressed disapproval of his leadership. The poll gathered responses from just over 1,000 adults nationwide.
The survey was primarily conducted before the controversy surrounding senior White House national security officials discussing classified operational details regarding an impending U.S. military strike in Yemen via the Signal messaging app, which may have violated federal law.
Trump garnered slightly more support in a recent national survey by Fox News, conducted from March 14–17. In that poll, 49% of respondents approved of his job performance, while 51% disapproved, reflecting a divided national sentiment.
The latest national polls evaluating the president’s approval ratings indicate that Trump’s numbers remain relatively low. Since the beginning of his second term, when his average approval stood in the low 50s and disapproval hovered in the mid-40s, his ratings have declined slightly.
Concerns over the economy and the possibility that Trump’s tariffs on key trade partners could exacerbate inflation have contributed to this decline. Throughout his presidency, former President Joe Biden also experienced significant approval rating challenges due to economic concerns.
The Fox News survey shows that 49% of Americans approve of Trump’s performance. This matches his highest approval rating in Fox News polls, which he previously reached in April 2020, near the conclusion of his first term. It is also six points higher than his approval rating at this time in his first term (43% in March 2017).
During Trump’s first term, most polls consistently reflected negative approval ratings.
"Keep these numbers in perspective. The numbers he’s averaging right now are still higher than he was at any point during his first presidency," noted veteran Republican pollster Neil Newhouse in a statement to Fox News.
Daron Shaw, a member of the Fox News Decision Team and the Republican pollster on the Fox News Poll, emphasized that "the difference is largely a function of the consolidation of the Republican base."
"The party’s completely solidified behind him," added Shaw, who serves as a political science professor and chair at the University of Texas. He pointed out that Trump now enjoys unwavering support from the GOP, unlike at the beginning of his first term when he faced opposition from certain Republicans.
Newhouse also reinforced that Trump’s Republican "base is still strongly behind him."
The narrative surrounding Trump’s popularity remains consistent.
Averaging the most recent national polls, Trump’s approval ratings are slightly below those of his first term, but still surpass where they stood back then. Several recent surveys also indicate that the percentage of Americans who believe the country is heading in the right direction has climbed to over 40%. While the overall sentiment remains negative, these are the most favorable right track/wrong track numbers in years.
How does Trump compare to his predecessor?
Biden initially enjoyed a strong start. Throughout the first six months of his single term, his approval rating remained in the low to mid-50s, while his disapproval hovered between the upper 30s and mid-40s.
However, Biden’s numbers began to drop in late summer and fall of 2021. This decline was attributed to criticism over his handling of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, rising inflation, and a surge in illegal immigration at the southern border with Mexico.
For the remainder of Biden’s presidency, his approval rating remained underwater.
"He just got crippled and never recovered," Shaw remarked regarding Biden.