Trump’s disapproval rating climbs to highest percentage of term

Three in five Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump’s job performance, a new poll highlighted on FOX Business Feb. 23 suggests, marking the highest disapproval rating of his current term. The same poll found divided public support for border enforcement as well as significant public dissatisfaction with Democrats in Congress.

Of those who expressed disapproval of the President, 47% said they “strongly” disapprove of Trump’s performance. Thirty-nine percent said they approve. The Washington Post-ABC-Ipsos survey was conducted Feb. 2-17 among 2,589 U.S. adults. The poll was released Feb. 22, just two days before Trump’s State of the Union address and less than two weeks before primary voters in three states — Arkansas, North Carolina, and Texas — head to the polls on March 3. 

The poll had last been conducted in October 2025, when 59% of respondents said they disapproved of Trump’s job performance and 41% approved, according to The Washington Post. 

At a comparable point in Trump’s first term, April 2018, his approval rating stood at 40% and his disapproval at 56%, according to a Washington Post-ABC poll cited in the latest survey. 

A Washington Post-ABC poll released Feb. 27, 2022, found that former President Joe Biden had a 37% approval rating and a 55% disapproval rating at a similar stage in his presidential term. In April 2014, former President Barack Obama’s approval rating was 41%, and his disapproval rating was 52%. 

The key issues driving Trump’s latest numbers are inflation (65% disapprove), tariffs (64% disapprove), foreign relations (62% disapprove), immigration (58% disapprove), and the economy (57% disapprove). Views on the U.S.-Mexico border were more split, with 50% disapproving and 47% approving. 

The survey also showed a sharp partisan divide. Eighty-five percent of Republican respondents said they approve of the President’s job performance, while 94% of Democrats and 69% of independents said they disapprove.

The poll suggested Democrats in Congress are not faring significantly better on key issues. When asked whether Trump or Democrats would “do a better job at handling the country’s main problems,” 33% chose Trump, 31% chose congressional Democrats, 31% said neither, and 4% said “both equally.” Sixty-four percent of Americans described the Democratic Party as “out of touch” and an equal percentage said the same of the President. 

On immigration, 38% of respondents said they have more confidence in Trump to handle the issue, compared with 34% who chose congressional Democrats. On the cost of living, 32% said they trust Trump more, while an equal 32% said they trust congressional Democrats more. 

Appearing on FOX Business, political commentator Guy Benson said he believes Trump would need economic improvements to shift public opinion.

“When people start to feel a better economy, things could start getting better with the Republican Party,” he said. “Unless and until that happens, it’s going to be tough sledding with this.” 

Trump dismissed the survey results during a Feb. 23 White House event, deeming them “fake polls.” 

“I had polls for the election that showed I was going to get swamped, and I won in a landslide,” he said. “They were fake polls. I saw [a fake poll] today, that I’m at 40%. I’m not at 40%. I’m at much higher than that. I mean I’d love to run against anybody. The real polls say you’d kill anybody, it wouldn’t even be close.”