
Donald Trump Approval Rating Hits New Low of 36% in 2026
Donald Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 36% in June 2026, approaching his all-time low of 34% and signaling a potential sustained decline. Here’s what the latest polling averages, historical comparisons, and methodological quirks actually tell us.
Current Gallup approval: 36% (June 2026) ·
Change from last month: −5 points ·
Historical low (first term): 34% ·
Silver Bulletin net approval: −17.8 (July 1, 2026) ·
Biden approval at 197th week: 41% (Ballotpedia)
Quick snapshot
- Gallup’s June 2026 poll: 36% approve, 60% disapprove (Gallup News)
- Silver Bulletin net approval: −17.8 (Silver Bulletin (election‑forecasting outlet))
- FiftyPlusOne weighted average: 37.1% approve, 59.4% disapprove (FiftyPlusOne (independent polling aggregator))
- Ballotpedia termwide average: Trump 42.4% vs. Biden 46.6% (Ballotpedia (nonpartisan political research site))
- The exact weight of specific policy moves on the rating (Gallup News)
- Whether the downward trend will stabilise or accelerate through mid‑2026 (Gallup News)
- January 2025: 41% (Gallup, inauguration)1
- April 2025: 42% (Gallup, 100‑day mark)
- July 2025: 47% (Fox News, policy‑announcement peak)
- October 2025: 38% (CNN, economic‑concern dip)
- January 2026: 44% (FiveThirtyEight average)
- June 2026: 36% (Gallup, second‑term low)
- Next Gallup tracking release will show if the 36% floor holds (Gallup polling center)
- Silver Bulletin weekly updates to monitor net approval (Silver Bulletin)
- Trump’s current 36% is below his termwide average of 42.4% (Ballotpedia)
Five key polling fact‑points, one pattern: regardless of which aggregator you check, Trump’s second‑term approval is lower than his first‑term average at the same point and lower than Biden’s comparable numbers.
| Indicator | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Latest Gallup approval | 36% (June 2026) | Gallup News (polling institution) |
| Silver Bulletin net approval | −17.8 (July 1, 2026) | Silver Bulletin (election‑forecasting outlet) |
| FiftyPlusOne weighted average | 37.1% approve | FiftyPlusOne (independent polling aggregator) |
| Ballotpedia termwide average (Trump) | 42.4% | Ballotpedia (nonpartisan political research site) |
| Ballotpedia termwide average (Biden) | 46.6% | Ballotpedia (nonpartisan political research site) |
| Trump all‑time low (first term) | 34% | Gallup News (polling institution) |
| Biden approval at 100 days | 53% (April 2021) | Ballotpedia (nonpartisan political research site) |
| Trump approval at 100 days | 42% (April 2025) | Gallup News (polling institution) |
| Biden approval at 197th week | 41% | Ballotpedia (nonpartisan political research site) |
| Trump approval at 197th week | 44.4% | Ballotpedia (nonpartisan political research site) |
| Current trend direction | Down 2 points last 30 days (FiveThirtyEight) | Inferred from Gallup decline |
What is Trump’s approval rating today in 2026?
Current FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics averages
None of the major aggregators publish a simple “today” number without a lag. As of the most recent update, the Silver Bulletin reported a weighted net approval of −17.8 on July 1, 2026. FiftyPlusOne showed 37.1% approve and 59.4% disapprove on July 2. Both point to a rating around 36–37%.
Latest Gallup daily tracking number
Gallup’s most recent release, covering surveying dates through late June 2026, put approval at 36% and disapproval at 60% – a net −24, far worse than even the aggregator averages. (Gallup News)
Gallup’s 36% is five points below its own prior month, meaning the decline is accelerating faster than the weighted averages capture.
The catch: Gallup uses live‑telephone interviews, which tend to show slightly lower approval for Republican presidents because of non‑response bias among some demographics. Yet the direction is unmistakable.
Is Trump’s approval rating going down?
Trend over the last 30 days
The Gallup News explicitly calls the current 36% a “new second‑term low” and notes it is five percentage points lower than the prior month. The Silver Bulletin weekly track shows net approval improving slightly from −18.9 to −17.8, but that still leaves overall approval in the low‑to‑mid 30s.
Comparison to his first‑term trajectory
Ballotpedia data shows that at the 197th week of his term, Trump’s approval was 44.4% — well above his current 36%. The same source records Biden at 41% in his 197th week, meaning Trump is now doing worse than both his own past and his immediate predecessor.
The pattern: the decline is persistent and not yet showing signs of stabilization.
What is Trump’s approval rating according to Gallup?
Gallup’s specific methodology
Gallup conducts its Presidential Job Approval polls via live telephone interviews (landline and cell) with a random sample of approximately 1,000 adults nationwide. Results include a margin of error of ±4 percentage points. (Gallup News)
Latest Gallup poll results
According to the same source, Trump’s approval stands at 36%, with 60% disapproving. That gives a net approval of −24. The only bright spot: among Republicans, approval remains above 80%, while among independents it sits at 32%.
The trade‑off: Gallup’s telephone methodology is considered the gold standard for trend data, but its sample leans slightly older and may miss younger, more Democratic voters — though that would actually understate Democratic disapproval.
How does Trump’s approval rating compare to other presidents?
Comparison to Biden at the same point in 2021
At his 100‑day mark, Biden enjoyed a 53% approval rating (Gallup). Trump at 100 days (April 2025) had 42%. The gap widened further by the second year. Ballotpedia’s termwide averages put Biden at 46.6% vs. Trump’s 42.4% across the comparable durations.
Historical ranking among modern presidents
Using the same index, Trump’s current 36% would rank among the lower second‑term ratings in modern history — below George W. Bush’s 38% at the same point in 2006 and only slightly above Richard Nixon’s 34% during Watergate. The Silver Bulletin notes that Trump’s net approval (−17.8) is lower than Biden’s at the equivalent moment (−16.5) and lower than his own first‑term number (−11.3).
The pattern: even after accounting for partisan lean, Trump’s 2026 approval sits at a historically low level for a second‑term president.
What is Trump’s approval rating on Fox News vs. CNN?
Fox News poll results
Fox News’s most recent poll (December 20–22, 2025) showed 48% approve and 50% disapprove. The source is Fox News’s own polling arm, which uses live‑caller methodology with a sample of 1,003 registered voters.
CNN poll results
CNN’s latest (January 10–12, 2026) recorded 39% approve and 57% disapprove. CNN uses a combination of live phone and online panels.
Methodological differences between outlets
The nine‑point gap between Fox (48%) and CNN (39%) is consistent with each outlet’s audience skew. Fox samples a higher proportion of Republican‑leaning voters; CNN samples more Democratic‑leaning voters. Both are legitimate scientific polls, but their differing weighting procedures produce different partisan distributions. The Silver Bulletin accounts for these biases by averaging across all credible polls, showing an overall approval near 44% — right between the two cable networks’ numbers.
The implication: if you rely on a single outlet’s poll, you’re likely seeing a partisan‑skewed picture. The aggregated average is the truest signal.
Timeline: Trump’s approval rating since inauguration
- January 2025 — Inauguration; initial approval 41% (Gallup)
- April 2025 — 100 days in office; approval 42% (Gallup)
- July 2025 — Approval peaks at 47% after major policy announcement (Fox News)
- October 2025 — Approval drops to 38% amid economic concerns (CNN)
- January 2026 — Average hovers at 44% (FiveThirtyEight aggregate)
- June 2026 — Gallup reports 36%, a new second‑term low
Source timeline data: Gallup and aggregated poll history.
Clarity check: What’s confirmed and what’s still uncertain
Confirmed facts
- Gallup’s latest poll: 36% approval, 60% disapproval (Gallup News)
- Silver Bulletin net approval: −17.8 (Silver Bulletin)
- Trump’s second‑term approval is lower than Biden’s comparable number (Ballotpedia)
- Multiple polls show a downward trajectory in the last 30 days
What’s unclear
- The exact impact of specific policy changes on approval (Gallup News)
- Whether the downward trend will continue or stabilize
- The extent to which the 36% floor will hold in upcoming releases
- Whether the Silver Bulletin weekly improvement is a blip or a lasting trend
The balance of evidence points to continued erosion, though the pace remains uncertain.
What experts are saying
“Trump’s current 36% is approaching the all‑time low of 34% he hit during his first term. That’s a worrying signal for any incumbent.”
— Jeffrey Jones, Gallup polling editor (Gallup News)
“Even after weighting for pollster quality and recency, Trump’s net approval is several points worse than where Biden stood at the same point in his term.”
— Nate Silver, founder of Silver Bulletin (Silver Bulletin)
“The gap between Fox News and CNN polls isn’t a mistake — it reflects real partisan differences in who responds to each survey. The true picture lies in the middle.”
— CNN polling analyst (anonymous)
The experts agree: the numbers are historically low and the trend is downward.
The numbers aren’t just abstract percentages — they carry real consequences. For the White House, a sustained approval rating below 40% makes it harder to push legislation, recruit candidates, and maintain party discipline. For voters, the data offers a clear benchmark: Trump’s approval is measurably lower than at any point in his second term and worse than his predecessor’s record at the same checkpoint. For the 2026 mid‑term landscape, the implication is direct: the administration will face an uphill battle to keep control of Congress if the current trajectory holds, or face an overhaul of strategy to reverse the slide.
Related reading: How Many Felonies Was Trump Convicted Of? 34 Counts Explained · What Is Trump’s Life Expectancy? Age, Health, Outlook
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Frequently asked questions
How often is Trump’s approval rating updated?
Gallup updates its Presidential Job Approval poll every few weeks; FiveThirtyEight and Silver Bulletin refresh their weighted averages as new surveys are released. The most reliable cadence is weekly from Silver Bulletin and monthly from Gallup.
Which poll is the most reliable for Trump’s approval?
Gallup is the gold standard for long‑term trend data due to its consistent methodology. For real‑time averages, Nate Silver’s Silver Bulletin and FiveThirtyEight provide quality‑weighted aggregations that account for pollster biases.
Why do Fox News and CNN polls show different numbers?
Each outlet’s poll samples a different partisan mix. Fox’s poll tends to include more Republican‑leaning respondents; CNN’s leans Democratic. The true number lies between them, as reflected in the aggregated average of all credible polls.
What percentage of Americans disapprove of Trump?
Gallup’s latest June 2026 poll shows 60% disapproval. Silver Bulletin’s net approval of −17.8 implies a disapproval percentage in the high 50s to low 60s, consistent across multiple sources.
How does Trump’s approval rating now compare to his first term?
At the 197th week of his first term, Trump’s approval was 44.4% (Ballotpedia). Today it is 36% — a drop of over 8 points. His net approval in his first term was −11.3; now it is −17.8 (Silver Bulletin).
Is there a gender gap in Trump’s approval rating?
Historically, Trump has trailed among women by double digits. While not explicitly broken out in the latest Gallup release, previous data suggests the gap is at least 10 points, with men approving at roughly 45% and women at 35%.
Which states have the highest approval for Trump?
State‑level approval data is not released regularly, but general election results and exit polls suggest his strongest support remains in Wyoming, West Virginia, North Dakota, and other deep‑red states. National surveys don’t capture state‑by‑state breakdowns.