President Donald Trump’s approval rating has collapsed to historic lows across state-by-state polling, with multiple national surveys in late July and early August 2026 recording his weakest numbers since his first term ended in January 2021. A Quinnipiac University poll released July 29 found Trump’s approval at 32%, the worst recorded in either of his terms, while an AP-NORC poll conducted the same period showed 33% approval—the lowest since his return to the White House in 2025.
A CNN/SSRS poll put Trump’s approval at 34%, matching his final approval rating from his first term in the immediate aftermath of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots, according to USA TODAY. An Economist/YouGov survey released July 28 also found 34% approval, marking Trump’s lowest in that pollster’s tracking since his second term began.
The Iran war and surging gas prices emerge as the primary drivers of the decline. In Quinnipiac’s poll, six in ten voters opposed the war on Iran—the highest opposition recorded since the conflict began—and 74% opposed sending U.S. ground troops. AP-NORC found 64% of Americans said the war has not been worthwhile, including 87% of Democrats and 68% of independents.
State-level polling reveals stark geographic divides. Wyoming remains Trump’s strongest state at a +21 net approval rating (57% approve), followed by North Dakota at +19, according to Newsweek’s state-by-state map from July 20. By contrast, Hawaii shows the lowest net approval at -59, followed by Vermont at -54 and Maryland at -49, according to reporting from late July.
The collapse represents a dramatic shift from Trump’s January 2025 start to his second term. Reuters reported Trump began his current term with 47% approval, before the approval trajectory turned sharply downward as the Iran war escalated and fuel prices climbed. The Economist’s approval tracker recorded Trump’s net approval rating at -25 by late July, among the lowest recorded this term.
Major polling averages as of July 30 show Trump deeply underwater. RealClearPolitics reported 39.7% approve and 58.1% disapprove, the New York Times found 38% approve and 59% disapprove, and Nate Silver’s tracker showed 38.2% approve and 58.8% disapprove. The consistency across independent aggregators underscores the breadth of the decline.
The timing coincides with sustained public disapproval of Trump’s handling of the economy and cost of living. The Economist reported Trump’s net approval on inflation and prices had fallen to -43 by late July—his lowest rating on that issue this term. A CNN poll from late July found 73% of Americans said Trump isn’t addressing key priorities, according to the INTERNAL_LINKS_POOL.
Trump’s approval decline in his second term contrasts sharply with his first. During his first four years in office, Trump averaged 41% job approval according to Ballotpedia’s polling index, while his second-term average through mid-2026 stood at 43.4%—masking the sharp recent deterioration. His current lows now approach the 34% approval rating recorded in his final days in office in January 2021.
Sources
- USA TODAY — Quinnipiac and AP-NORC polls showing 32% and 33% approval; CNN/SSRS at 34%; state-level breakdowns
- Newsweek — State-by-state approval map showing Wyoming at +21, Hawaii at -59
- The Hill — AP-NORC poll details and Nate Silver analysis of second-term low
- The Guardian — CNN poll showing Trump at 34% approval
- The Economist — YouGov tracking at 34%, net approval at -25, inflation rating at -43
- Reuters — Trump’s January 2025 starting approval at 47%
- Ballotpedia — First-term average 41%, second-term average 43.4%
