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| CNN Poll: Trump’s 100-Day Approval Rating Lowest in Over 70 Years |
Donald Trump returned to the presidency with the highest poll numbers of his political career, but as his second term hits the 100-day mark, public opinion has soured sharply, a new CNN poll by SSRS shows.
Trump’s approval rating stands at 41%, the lowest for any newly elected president at this point in office since at least Dwight Eisenhower — even lower than during Trump’s first term.
Approval of Trump’s job performance has fallen 4 points since March and is now 7 points lower than in late February. Only 22% of Americans say they strongly approve of Trump’s presidency, the lowest figure yet, while twice as many — 45% — strongly disapprove.
Support among women and Hispanic Americans has dropped sharply since March, with approval falling by 7 points in each group to 36% among women and 28% among Hispanics. Partisan divisions remain wide: 86% of Republicans approve of Trump, compared with 93% of Democrats who disapprove. Meanwhile, approval among independents has dipped to 31%, matching his lowest point with that group from January 2021.
The survey shows Trump facing negative ratings on nearly all major issues he’s tackled, with Americans’ confidence in his ability to manage these areas slipping further.
Approval of Trump’s economic performance has also weakened. After the rollout of his tariff plan caused stock market swings and inflation concerns, only 35% approve of his handling of inflation (down 9 points) and tariffs (down 4 points). His overall economic approval has dropped 5 points to a career-low 39%. Confidence in his economic leadership is also down 13 points since December, now at 52%.
“I’m disappointed. I didn’t vote for him. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, thinking he might help the economy, but it’s been disappointing,” said a 55-year-old Virginia federal employee, who requested anonymity.
Trump’s actions to reshape the federal workforce have also hurt his approval ratings. Only 42% approve of his management of the federal government, a drop of 6 points since March. Just 46% believe he can appoint the best people, down 8 points from December. Fewer than half (43%) view Trump’s approach as necessary reform, while 57% feel he is unnecessarily endangering the country.
Derek Steinmetz, a Democrat from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, said he’s worried about Trump’s “disregard for rules, norms, and government structure," noting that things feel worse now than during Trump’s first term because of fewer institutional safeguards.
Trump’s approach to foreign policy — including friendlier ties with Russia and cuts to foreign aid — is also unpopular, with 60% disapproving and only 39% approving. Confidence in his foreign policy skills has dropped from 55% pre-inauguration to about half now.
Even on immigration, once a strong issue for Trump, his approval is sliding. Now, 45% approve of his immigration policies, down 6 points from March. Confidence in his handling of immigration has fallen to 53%, compared to 60% in December.
On gender identity and transgender issues, however, Trump receives a slight positive: 51% approve of his handling of these topics, including overwhelming support from Republicans (90%) and a split among independents (48% approve) and Democrats (16% approve).
“I’m glad he recognized only male and female identities legally. No 'they' or 'binary.' Just male and female,” said Lisa Munson, a Maryland mother of three and Trump supporter, when asked about Trump’s most significant achievement.
Trump’s interventions in arts and culture, though, are far less popular. About 64% find it inappropriate that he took control of institutions like the Kennedy Center and sought changes at the Smithsonian, a task partly handled by Vice President JD Vance.
Vance shares Trump’s low approval rating of 41%, with 58% disapproving of his performance. Favorability ratings are low for both men: 40% for Trump and 34% for Vance.
Confidence in Trump’s responsible use of presidential power has dropped 8 points to 46%, and confidence in his leadership has fallen 9 points to 50% since December. His flurry of executive orders has faced repeated court challenges.
“I’m not a fan of Trump’s overuse of executive orders,” said George Mastrodonato, a Trump supporter and semi-retired lawyer from Santa Fe, New Mexico. “He blasts them out like Yosemite Sam — some stick, some don’t.”
A slim majority of Americans (52%) believe Trump’s second term will bring lasting change to the country. About 36% think any changes will fade after he leaves office, and 12% believe there will be no significant change at all.
Americans are split on whether Trump is keeping his campaign promises, with 48% saying he is and 51% saying he is not — numbers similar to his first term. A majority (55%) feel he’s taken steps to address national problems, though just 28% think these efforts are already having an impact.
Mastrodonato believes Trump is keeping his promises: “He’s doing what he said he would do. I might prefer a different approach, but he’s Trump — he does things his own way.”
The CNN poll surveyed 1,678 adults nationwide between April 17-24, using a mix of online and phone interviews. The margin of sampling error for the full poll is plus or minus 2.9 points.
CNN’s Emily R. Condon, Edward Wu, and Aleena Fayaz contributed to this report.