Linda McMahon, Secretary of Education, shakes hands with Annette Albright next to President Donald Trump during the signing of executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on April 23, 2025. (Credit: Leah Millis/Reuters.)
Donald Trump's approval rating is declining, according to polls published Wednesday, with the U.S. president especially penalized for his handling of the economy and immigration.
According to an Economist/YouGov study conducted with 1,905 people, Trump receives 41% favorable opinions compared to 50% in January, during his return to the White House.
Another poll, from the Pew Research Center, conducted with 3,589 people, grants the president 40% favorable opinions compared to 47% in February. A score much lower than that of his predecessor, Joe Biden, in April 2021, at the same point in his presidency. Over the first three months of his second term, Trump receives an average rating of 45% favorable opinions, the lowest rating of all U.S. presidents since World War II, the Gallup Institute wrote last week. While he triggered a global trade war before partially backtracking, Trump suffers from a poor image for his economic management.
While voters largely trusted him in this area last year, 54% of those surveyed now believe the national economy is on a downhill trend, compared to 37% in January, according to the Economist/YouGov study. The president's rating suffers particularly in terms of the cost of living: only 31% of Americans approve of his action in this area, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Inflation was one of the key issues in last November's presidential election, and Trump has prided himself on reducing prices. But most economists believe his trade war is likely to drive inflation back up. On immigration, only 45% of respondents approve of the president's action, compared to 50% two weeks ago, according to the Economist/YouGov study. The Trump administration deported more than 200 undocumented immigrants to El Salvador based on an exceptional law on “foreign enemies,” which was struck down by the courts.
Trump sees his rating decline among certain categories that significantly helped him defeat Kamala Harris. He now receives only 27% favorable opinions among Hispanic voters, compared to 36% at the beginning of February, according to the Pew Research Center.
