Trump’s Approval Underwater Ahead of State of the Union
President Donald Trump took to social media earlier this month to celebrate what he called “The highest Poll Numbers I have ever received.”
“Obviously, people like a strong and powerful Country, with the best economy, EVER!” the president added in a post on his Truth Social platform.
However, as he prepares to deliver his annual State of the Union Address, Trump’s approval ratings remain in negative territory across most national polls.
According to the latest Fox News national survey conducted late last month, the president’s approval rating stands at 44%, while 56% disapprove of his performance in the White House.
In an ABC News/The Washington Post/Ipsos poll conducted Feb. 12–17 and released Sunday, Trump registered 39% approval among all adults and 41% among registered voters.
An average of major surveys taken over the past four weeks shows Trump’s approval in the low 40s, with disapproval in the mid-50s.
Trump began his second term with ratings in positive territory. But his numbers slipped below water last March and have gradually declined further in the months since.
Recent polling underscores a stark partisan divide. Republicans continue to strongly back the president, independents largely disapprove, and Democrats remain nearly unified in opposition.
“Support among Republicans has remained in place, but the opposition has become even more calcified,” veteran Republican pollster Daron Shaw told Fox News Digital, pointing to Democrats.
Concerns over inflation played a major role in boosting Trump and Republicans to sweeping victories in 2024, when they reclaimed the White House and Senate while maintaining their House majority.
“We had record inflation. We don’t have it anymore,” Trump said at a campaign event last week in Rome, Georgia. “I’m going to make a State of the Union address on Tuesday. I hope you’re going to watch and we’re going to be talking about it.”
Still, Trump’s approval ratings specifically on the economy are, on average, slightly lower than his overall job approval numbers.
Democrats argue their decisive wins in November’s 2025 elections — along with strong performances in special elections since Trump’s return to office — were driven by a focused message on affordability amid lingering inflation concerns.
Multiple surveys, including the latest Fox News poll, indicate that Americans remain pessimistic about the economy and feel conditions have not generally improved during Trump’s second administration.
“He can’t unstick the notion that inflation is too high and that the economy is not moving in the right direction,” added Shaw, who co-runs the Fox News Poll with Democratic pollster Chris Anderson.
At the same time, Democrats have struggled in the polls. The party’s overall brand fell to historic lows last year in several surveys, a trend that has continued into the new year.
Trump’s primetime address to Congress comes with just over eight months until the midterm elections, when Republicans will defend their razor-thin House majority and narrow Senate control.
Last week, the president’s political team met behind closed doors with Cabinet members and senior aides to strategize on promoting his agenda ahead of the midterms.
Sources familiar with the meeting said a presentation by chief pollster and strategist Tony Fabrizio emphasized that the economy will be voters’ top concern and that the White House must highlight its efforts to improve affordability.
“Team Trump will deploy every resource necessary to win the midterms, protect our majorities, and ensure President Trump keeps delivering results for America’s working families,” a source in the president’s political orbit told Fox News Digital.
Despite his overall approval numbers, Trump remains highly popular and influential among Republicans. In what could shape up as a base-driven election, GOP leaders view the president as their strongest asset in energizing low-propensity MAGA voters — those who are less likely to turn out when he is not on the ballot.
Joe Gruters, chair of the Republican National Committee, told Fox News Digital last month that Trump is the GOP’s “secret weapon” who could help Republicans “defy history” in the midterms.
“We got to make sure we turn our voters out, and we got to make sure that we have people energized. And there’s nobody that can energize our base more than President Trump,” Gruters said.
