Trump Job Approval Plummets to 39%, Hits Second-Term Low

A new YouGov/Economist poll released on September 17 finds President Donald Trump’s approval rating at 39%, with 57% of Americans disapproving of his job performance, marking the lowest point of his second term.

This sharp decline underscores growing public dissatisfaction as Trump enters the fall legislative agenda, intensifying scrutiny of his policy record and electoral prospects.

Latest Poll Results

• Approval: 39%
• Disapproval: 57%
• Net approval: -18 percentage points, the lowest of his second term

Who’s Supporting and Who’s Opposing

• Republicans: 88% approve, 10% disapprove
• Independents: 28% approve, 64% disapprove
• Democrats: 2% approve, 97% disapprove

Issue-Based Ratings at New Lows

Trump’s handling of major issues also sank to fresh troughs:

• Economy and jobs: -22 net approval
• Inflation and prices: -34 net approval
• Immigration: -8 net approval
• Crime: -7 net approval

Methodology

The weekly survey, conducted September 12-15 among 1,567 U.S. adults, carries a margin of error of ±3.6 points.

Shortly after, Reuters/Ipsos data from September 9 showed a 42% approval, 56% disapproval rating, indicating persistent under-water approval across polling outfits.

With midterm elections approaching and public confidence flagging on key issues, this slump in Trump’s approval rating may signal headwinds for the Republican agenda and influence voter enthusiasm in 2026 contests.