President Donald Trump’s approval rating has turned negative for the first time since beginning his second term, according to polling data from FiveThirtyEight. Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment but has yet to receive a response.
The shift in Trump’s approval rating occurred on the same day that his newly implemented tariffs took effect and the stock market experienced a downturn. Later that evening, however, the president delivered a joint address to Congress, which was largely well received by the public. A CNN poll showed that 69 percent of Americans had a positive reaction to the speech, while a CBS News and YouGov poll indicated that 76 percent of viewers approved of it. Despite the strong reception to his address, the decline in Trump’s approval rating may signal that the early period of goodwill in his second term is coming to an end.
According to FiveThirtyEight’s analysis, Trump’s disapproval rating surpassed his approval rating for the first time on Wednesday. The day before, he had maintained a slight edge in approval by 0.1 percent, but by Wednesday, disapproval had overtaken approval by 0.3 percent. This shift occurred more rapidly than it did for his predecessor, former President Joe Biden. Biden’s approval rating did not turn negative until September 2021, roughly seven months into his presidency. In contrast, Trump’s shift happened just over a month into his second term.
When Biden’s approval rating dropped, the change was more pronounced. On September 1, 2021, he held a 0.1 percent approval margin, but by September 3, his disapproval had increased to 1.1 percent. While Trump’s decline has been smaller, it has also occurred more quickly. However, compared to his first term, Trump has maintained a positive approval rating for a longer period. During his first presidency, his approval rating turned negative by the 15th day in office, plummeting from an approval margin of 0.1 percent on day 13 to a disapproval margin of 2.9 percent two days later.
Additional polling reflects a similar trend. An NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll found that as of Monday, 49 percent of Americans disapproved of Trump’s performance, while 45 percent approved. Meanwhile, Real Clear Politics reported that Trump’s approval rating remained in positive territory, standing at 1.2 percent as of Wednesday.