Special Poll
President Donald Trump’s approval rating has taken a slight dip just over two months into his second term, according to new polling data that suggests some early enthusiasm may be softening.
The latest Harvard CAPS/Harris poll shows that 49 percent of registered voters approve of Trump’s job performance, down from 52 percent last month, while 46 percent disapprove. The change, while modest, is drawing attention as observers look for signs of whether Trump’s second-term honeymoon is beginning to wear off.
Pollster Mark Penn noted that Trump’s overall standing still remains stronger than that of former President Joe Biden, though he acknowledged that the dip could be a sign of more than just statistical noise. “We show a dip, but it’s within the margin of error. We’ll have to see next month if this is just a blip or the start of a trend,” he said.
Among party lines, 12 percent of Republicans expressed disapproval of Trump’s performance, while 79 percent of Democrats and 50 percent of independents said the same. The data also showed Trump’s numbers slipped slightly on several key issues, including the economy, foreign policy, and government spending.
Even on immigration, where Trump has traditionally performed well, support dropped from 56 percent approval last month to 53 percent in the latest figures. That decline, though slight, comes amid controversy surrounding recent executive actions and sweeping federal enforcement changes.
Public sentiment appears to be shifting more broadly as well. More than 4 in 10 voters now believe Trump is doing worse than expected, up from 35 percent last month. Meanwhile, 30 percent said he’s doing better than expected, and 27 percent feel his performance is in line with their expectations.
While a majority of voters 54 percent still say Trump is doing a better job than Biden did, that figure is also slipping, down from 58 percent just a month earlier.
On favorability, voters remain split, with 47 percent viewing Trump favorably and the same number viewing him unfavorably. By contrast, Biden’s favorability stands at just 39 percent, with 53 percent viewing him unfavorably.
Trump began his second term with some of the strongest approval ratings of his political career, buoyed by a renewed focus on immigration and a promise to streamline the federal government. But growing economic worries especially tied to his aggressive tariff strategy and a declining stock market appear to be taking a toll.
A recent Gallup poll shows that Trump’s average approval over the past three months sits at 45 percent, higher than his 42 percent average at the same point in his first term. However, Gallup also noted a month-by-month decline since January.
Adding to the concern for Trump’s team, Nate Silver’s tracker shows that Trump’s approval rating dipped below his disapproval rating in mid-March, potentially signaling a broader shift in public perception.
As discontent over rising prices and volatile markets grows fueled in part by his tariff policies and efforts to downsize government agencies some are now asking whether Trump’s approach is beginning to backfire. And if the trend continues, it could pose a serious challenge to advancing his second-term agenda.