Trump's Approval Rating Has 'Started To Drop More Quickly'—Nate Silver
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President Donald Trump's approval rating has "started to drop more quickly," pollster Nate Silver said.
Writing on his Silver Bulletin website, Silver analyzed Trump's declining ratings and said the president's popularity had neared a low it reached in April.
Why It Matters
Trump's popularity has fluctuated in the first few months of his second administration and a few key policy issues, including tariff policy and the administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, have sowed the seeds of discontent among the American electorate.
A sustained polling backlash could affect Trump's reputation and the Republican Party more generally ahead of the November 2026 midterms.
President Donald Trump speaks during a dinner for Republican senators in the State Dining Room of the White House on July 18, 2025, in Washington.
President Donald Trump speaks during a dinner for Republican senators in the State Dining Room of the White House on July 18, 2025, in Washington.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
What To Know
Silver, who founded 538, a website about opinion poll analysis, said that Trump's approval had declined "slowly [but steadily] since the beginning of July." However, in the last week, he said it "has started to drop more quickly."
By aggregating various polls, Silver said Trump's approval rating was -6.9 on July 10 and had since fallen to -8.9, close to the lows of -9.7 it plunged to on April 29. This came around the time the president implemented tariffs on trading partners. Silver noted that Trump's approval rating is currently still around 7 points higher than it was during this point in his first term.
His comments come amid other negative polling for the president. A survey conducted by The Economist/YouGov, conducted July 11-14, found that 55 percent of respondents disapprove of Trump's job performance, while 41 percent approve.
Meanwhile, a Tyson Group poll, conducted June 25-26 among 1,027 U.S. adults, showed Trump at 45 percent approval and 51 percent disapproval.
However, there are also signs of hope among some demographics. According to polling by The Economist/YouGov, the president has a net approval rating of +80 from conservatives. This is similar to the levels at the start of his second term. He has also gained traction among Gen X voters.
What People Are Saying
Thomas Whalen, an associate professor who teaches U.S. politics at Boston University, told Newsweek: "This is an indication of how the ongoing Epstein scandal is damaging Trump among MAGA voters along with popular frustration over the continued persistence of inflation in the general economy. The latter is showing signs of getting even worse due to Trump's tariff threats on longtime allies and trading partners.
"This is particularly bad news for the president due to the unreasonably high expectations of the previous six months when Trump promised to solve most the nation's ills 'from day one' through strong executive action.
"That hasn't happened and the day of political reckoning has finally arrived and Americans are apparently not happy with what they see.
"Meanwhile, Democrats are licking their lips about probable gains in the 2026 midterms.
"Not even John Roberts' Supreme Court will be able to bail out Trump politically this time."
What Happens Next
Trump's popularity will be tested when voters head to the polls for the midterm elections in November 2026.
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