Trump’s Approval Rating Plunges With America’s Most Accurate Pollster

President Donald Trump’s approval rating has taken a significant hit, according to America’s most accurate pollster.

According to a poll conducted by AtlasIntel between March 7 and 12 among 2,550 respondents, Trump’s approval rating currently stands at 47 percent, while 52 percent disapprove of his job performance. The poll had a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points.

This is down from previous polls conducted by AtlasIntel in January and February, which found that 50 percent approved Trump’s job performance, while 50 percent disapproved.

AtlasIntel was the most accurate polling company of the 2024 election, according to veteran pollster Nate Silver.

Why It Matters

Trump’s approval rating is a key indicator of his political strength as he navigates his second presidential term and prepares for future policy battles.

A shift in his numbers could influence support from Republican lawmakers, affect his ability to push through his agenda and shape the political landscape heading into the midterm election cycle.

What To Know

Atlas Intel’s latest poll shows a decline in Trump’s approval rating, a trend also reflected by Newsweek’s poll tracker.

Newsweek’s average of the 10 most recent polls found that Trump’s approval rating is 47 percent, while his disapproval rating is 50 percent, giving him a net approval rating of -3 points.

That is a lower net approval rating than March 14, when Newsweek’s tracker showed Trump’s approval rating in negative territory for the first time, with 47 percent approving of the president’s performance and 49 percent disapproving.

That came after his approval rating had held steady at 48 percent over the past week, briefly peaking at 49 percent on March 6. His disapproval rating had also remained at 48 percent, dipping to 47 percent on March 6 but now rising to 49 percent.

Trump’s approval rating has been on a steady decline in recent polls. The latest YouGov/Economist poll, conducted between March 9 and 11 among 1,532 registered voters, found that Trump’s disapproval rating had risen to 47 percent, up from 45 percent in a survey conducted between February 23 and 25. Meanwhile, his approval rating has dipped from 48 percent to 47 percent.

Both polls carried a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points. Additionally, an Emerson College poll conducted from March 8 to 10 found Trump’s approval at 47 percent and disapproval at 45 percent, a decline from 48 percent approval and 43 percent disapproval recorded in early March.

In Quinnipiac University’s latest poll, conducted between March 6 and 10 among 1,198 registered voters, Trump’s disapproval was up by 4 points, at 53 percent, while his approval rating decreased to 42 percent from 45 percent in the previous poll, conducted on February 19. The poll had a margin of error of +/- 2.8 percentage points.

Recent polls suggest that dissatisfaction with Trump’s handling of the economy is a key factor in his declining popularity. The latest poll conducted by NBC News found that more than half (54 percent) said they disapprove of how Trump is handling the economy, compared to 44 percent who approve. More voters also expressed disapproval of how the Republican president is handling inflation and the cost of living (55 percent) against 42 percent saying they approve.

The poll also showed that 18 percent of voters believe the economy is currently in a “good” or “excellent” state. In comparison, 43 percent believe the economy is in a poor state, and nearly four in 10 (39 percent) of poll respondents said they think the state is in a “fair” condition. The poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters between March 7 and 11 and had a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.

AtlasIntel’s latest poll shows similar levels of dissatisfaction with Trump’s handling of the economy. According to the survey, 48 percent think Trump’s handling of the economy has been “terrible” or “poor,” while 48 percent also said it has been “good” or “excellent.” More voters disapproved of the current state of the U.S. jobs market, with 46 percent saying they see it as “bad,” while just 21 percent said they see it as “good.”

Regarding how voters see the U.S. economy, 54 percent said they see it as “bad,” while just 14 percent said they see it as “good.” Inflation and the cost of living were also revealed to be the issues at the top of voter’s minds, with 41 percent saying they are the most significant issues facing the country right now.

Voters were also largely dissatisfied with Trump’s tariff strategy, with 53 percent saying they don’t support his moves and 40 percent saying the opposite.

This trend was also reflected in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted between March 11 and 12 among 1,422 respondents. The poll revealed that 57 percent of Americans think Trump’s moves to shake up the U.S. economy have been too erratic. This includes his aggressive strategy on tariffs, which many say has spooked the stock market. The poll had a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.

Trump proceeded with plans to impose additional tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico, and China this week, a move that some experts say could increase inflation. Goldman Sachs previously estimated that the tariffs could push inflation by 1 percent while squeezing U.S. company profits and provoking retaliatory measures from other countries. Canada, for example, has announced billions of dollars in retaliatory tariffs.

At the same time, inflation is already affecting the economy, as a Labor Department report for January saw the largest consumer price increase in nearly 18 months. However, other indicators show inflation has been falling more recently.

In the Reuters/Ipsos poll, 70 percent of respondents—nine in 10 Democrats and six in 10 Republicans—said they expect higher tariffs to make groceries and everyday purchases more expensive. Additionally, 61 percent of respondents indicated that Trump’s top priority should be addressing rising prices.

CNN’s latest poll, conducted from March 6 to 9 among 1,206 respondents, found the highest dissatisfaction with Trump’s handling of tariffs. A majority, 61 percent, disapproved of how Trump is handling tariffs, while only 39 percent approved.

The same poll revealed that 56 percent of respondents disapprove of his handling of the economy, with 44 percent approving. Similarly, in the Emerson College poll, Trump’s disapproval rating was highest on the U.S. economy, with 48 percent disapproving and 37 percent approving.

Donald Trump’s Job Approval Rating

Trump currently has a negative net approval rating of -3 points, with more people disapproving of his job performance than approving. It comes after his approval rating had remained steady, at 48 percent, throughout last week, peaking at 49 percent on March 6, according to Newsweek’s average.

His disapproval rate has also mostly remained at 48 percent, hitting a low of 47 percent on March 6. It now stands at 50 percent.

How Donald Trump’s Approval Rating Compares to Joe Biden’s

Trump’s 47 percent approval rating is lower than former President Joe Biden’s popularity at the same point in his presidency on March 18, 2021, when he had an approval rating of 54 percent and a disapproval rating of 42 percent, according to RealClearPolitics.

Polls released in the days after Trump’s inauguration showed his popularity at an all-time high. However, he was still the least popular president in recent times.

According to Gallup’s first poll of Trump’s second term, conducted between January 21 and 27, his initial approval rating was 47 percent. The pollster said this figure made him less popular than any president since 1953 at the start of a term and the only one to begin with a sub-50 percent approval rating. According to Gallup, Biden started his first term with a 57 percent approval rating.

How Donald Trump’s Approval Rating Compares to First Term

Despite his declining approval rating, Trump is still more popular now than he was at the same point in his first term.

The RealClearPolitics tracker shows that on March 18, 2017, his approval rating was 44 percent, while his disapproval rating was 50 percent, giving him a net approval rating of -6 points.

What Happens Next

Trump’s approval rating will likely fluctuate in the coming weeks depending on the outcome of key events, including critical negotiations on the Russia-Ukraine war, the growing tariff battle with countries such as Canada, and concerns about a U.S. recession.

Newsweek will update Trump’s average approval rating every week.