Here's a political reality that's becoming harder to ignore: President Donald Trump's approval rating has hit a new low. According to a YouGov/The Economist poll published this week, only 35% of Americans approve of his handling of the presidency, while 58% disapprove. That gives him a net approval rating of -23 points, which is the worst reading this particular poll has ever recorded for him across either of his terms.
Think of it like a stock chart with a steady downtrend. Last week he was at net -18. The week before that, -19. A week earlier, -15. It's not a crash, but it's a clear and consistent slide. For context, at this same point in his first term, Trump's net rating was -11. And President Joe Biden's was -6 at the same stage of his presidency. Biden's worst-ever rating in this series was also -23, but he only hit that mark twice, and both times were in his final year in office.
The raw numbers are also closing in on record territory. This poll has only once measured Trump's approval lower than 35%, and only once measured his disapproval higher than 58% (it hit 59% back in February 2026).
So what's driving the erosion? It appears to be coming, in part, from his own base. The poll was conducted from March 27-30 among 1,679 respondents, during a period marked by the Iran conflict, a partial government shutdown, and a generally worsening market and economic outlook. Separate reporting last week suggested Trump's approval weakened as the conflict with Iran pushed fuel prices higher and weighed on confidence in his handling of key issues.
The data backs that up. Among people who voted for Trump in 2024, the latest poll found 76% approve and 19% disapprove. That's a net +57. Sounds solid, right? Well, it's actually 15 points lower than it was just three weeks earlier. That's a notable shift in a short time.
The movement isn't isolated to one group. Older and younger voters are both moving against him. Americans 65 and older gave Trump a net -17 rating this week, down from -10 last week and a far cry from the -1 rating he had at the start of his second term. Voters under 30 rated him at net -40 this week, a significant drop from -25 last week.
It's one poll, of course. But it paints a picture of a political foundation that's showing some cracks at a moment when the administration is facing multiple strains. When your core supporters start to waver, even a little, it deepens the political trouble. It's the political equivalent of a key customer cohort reducing their spending—it gets everyone's attention.
