Despite carte blanche from a Republican-led Congress, President Donald Trump’s agenda is hugely unpopular with Americans at large, according to Pew Research.
Trump’s approval rating now stands at 38%, with 60% of Americans disapproving of his track record six months into this administration.
And two of the administration’s signature accomplishments — tariff policies and the tax and spending law known as the “big beautiful bill” — are more disliked than liked by the people. Pew found 61% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s tariff policies and 38% approve. Also, 46% disapprove of the “big beautiful bill” while 32% approve.
Pew also found 53% of Americans believe Trump is making the federal government work worse, while about half as many (27%) say he is making the government work better.
The Aug. 4-10 national survey found Republicans and Republican-leading independents experiencing buyer’s remorse: Only 55% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents now say Trump is improving the way the federal government works, compared to 76% of Republicans who said earlier they expected he would make government work better.
On the partisan divide, Pew reports: “People who identify as strong Republicans continue to overwhelmingly approve of Trump’s job performance: 93% do so today, little different than the 96% who approved at the outset of his presidency. But there has been substantial erosion in his approval over this period among those who identify as Republicans but not strongly, as well as among independents who lean toward the GOP: About six in 10 of those in these groups approve of Trump’s performance today, down from roughly three-quarters at the start of his second term.”
The president’s overall approval rating continues to decline and is down 3 percentage points over the last two months and down 9 points since shortly after he took office. His record is approved only by his most devoted GOP supporters.
The president’s approval rating is more negative than positive among most demographic groups. Only 47% of white Americans approve of Trump’s performance, while 52% disapprove. Majorities of Black (83%), Hispanic (70%) and Asian (66%) Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the job.
Older adults continue to hold more positive views of Trump’s job performance than younger adults, and much of the slip in his approval rating has come among younger Americans, Pew said.
Further, most Americans do not see Trump as trustworthy.
“Fewer now say he cares about the needs of ordinary people (37% today, 42% last summer), is a good role model (29% now, 34% then) or is mentally sharp (48% now, 53% then),” the report explains.
Seven in 10 Americans disapprove of the Trump administration’s handling of information related to the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, while 25% approve. Pew found most Americans distrust what the administration is saying about the Epstein issue: 63% say they have little or no trust in what the administration is saying, including 88% of Democrats and 38% of Republicans. Only a quarter of Republicans say they trust a great deal or fair amount of what the administration is saying.
Recent Gallup polling largely confirms the data published by Pew, with 37% of Americans approving of Trump’s job performance and 59% finding his performance unfavorable.
By nearly every measure, Trump’s approval rating six months into the job is the lowest in modern history, rivaled only by opposition to his agenda six months into his first term in 2017.
- Joe Biden (June 2021) — 56% approve
- Donald Trump (June 2017) — 38% approve
- Barack Obama (June 2009) — 61% approve
- George W. Bush (June 2001) — 54% approve
- Bill Clinton (June 1993) — 41% approve
- George H.W. Bush (June 1989) — 70% approve
- Ronald Reagan (June 1981) — 59% approve
- Jimmy Carter (June 1977) — 63% approve
- Richard Nixon (June 1969) — 63% approve
- John F. Kennedy (June 1961) — 73% approve