Is Trump's honeymoon over? Survey shows presidential approval falls to lowest level of second term
President Trump's approval rating has recently declined to its lowest point during his second term, as new polls show dissatisfaction with his handling of the economy and recent controversies.
President Donald Trump's approval rating has recently taken a significant dip, reaching its lowest point during his second term. This shift in public opinion comes amid growing concerns about his handling of both the economy and recent developments in foreign policy.
As the president faces mounting criticism, the latest survey results provide insight into how Americans view his performance. From economic challenges to international tensions, there are several factors influencing his approval rating at this critical point in his presidency.
Trump's approval rating has fallen during his second term
The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll revealed that Trump’s approval rating now stands at 43 percent, down 2 percentage points from late March. When Trump first took office on January 20, his approval rating was 47 percent. In the recent survey, only 37 percent of respondents approved of his management of the economy, and 30 percent supported his approach to tackling the country’s high cost of living.
A majority of Americans (52 percent) expressed concern that raising tariffs on cars and auto parts would negatively affect those close to them. A similar proportion believed that Trump's decision to increase tariffs across the board, announced on Wednesday, would worsen rather than improve the situation. About one-third of Republican and Republican-leaning voters also agreed that these tariffs would harm the economy.
The survey shows Trump's approval has fallen during his second term. Photo: Reuters/Ipsos
On Wednesday, Trump introduced the U.S.'s new tariff plan, imposing a minimum 10 percent import tax on incoming goods, with many countries facing higher rates, particularly China, which faces a 54 percent tariff. However, the U.S.'s primary trading partners, Mexico and Canada, are exempt from the new tariff package, although they still face a 25 percent duty. Items covered under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement remain unaffected.
Americans are discomfort with Trump's Signal scandal
The poll also highlighted dissatisfaction with Trump following the leaked Signal chat involving several top officials from his administration.
The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief revealed that he was mistakenly added to the chat thread, where officials were discussing military actions against Houthi rebels in Yemen, which took place in mid-March. A large majority (74 percent) of respondents, including 91 percent of Democrats and 55 percent of Republicans, considered the discussion reckless. Only 22 percent saw it as harmless.
74% of Americans consider the Signal scandal as reckless. Photo: Reuters/Ipsos
Regarding foreign policy, just over one-third (34 percent) of respondents approved of Trump’s handling, marking a 3-point drop from late March. Nearly half (48 percent) were satisfied with his management of immigration.
Trump’s approval rating also dropped by 3 points in a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll, from 52 to 49 percent, with 46 percent expressing disapproval.
The Reuters/Ipsos survey, which was conducted from March 31 to April 2 among 1,486 U.S. adults, had a margin of error of about 3 percentage points.
