President Trump’s approval rating hit 33 percent in summer 2026 polling, marking the lowest point of his second term and his entire presidency, according to multiple polls conducted in August. A Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted August 14-17 found that just 33 percent of respondents approved of Trump’s job performance, while 64 percent disapproved, according to reporting from late August 2026.
The decline represents a significant drop from Trump’s January 2025 inauguration, when his approval stood at 47 percent. Throughout 2025 and into 2026, his ratings have steadily eroded, falling to an average of 37 to 39 percent by midsummer, according to polling data compiled by multiple sources tracking his second term.
Pew Research Center analysis in early August found Trump’s job approval at 34 percent, lower than most recent presidents at comparable points in their second terms, with a partisan gap of 78 percentage points between Republican and Democratic support. His overall approval now trails the historical norm—his termwide average at this point in his second term stands at 43.2 percent, compared to 41.1 percent at the same stage of his first term, according to Ballotpedia’s polling index.
Economic concerns have emerged as the primary driver of the collapse. A record 63 percent of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the economy, according to an Economist/YouGov poll conducted in June 2026. Trump’s approval rating on inflation—the issue Americans cite as most important—has fallen to a dismal net -42.4 percent, according to August analysis. His approval on economic handling stands at just 32 to 33 percent, among the lowest marks of his presidency.
The ongoing Iran war has compounded his political challenges. Public support for Trump’s handling of the conflict has collapsed, with approval falling to 28 percent in late July 2026, down from 34 percent just weeks earlier. Even among Republicans, approval of his Iran war management fell from 71 percent in June to 61 percent by late August, signaling erosion within his core base. A Financial Times poll conducted in mid-August found that 55 percent of registered voters disapproved of Trump’s overall job performance, including nearly 20 percent of his own party.
The timing poses particular risk ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Historically, a president’s approval rating at midterm strongly predicts congressional losses for his party. Trump’s approval among rural voters, traditionally his strongest demographic, has collapsed from a net +20 approval in early 2025 to -14 by May 2026, according to Fox News analysis. A recent Dispatch analysis suggested that Trump’s approval in the high 30s could produce a larger Democratic wave than occurred in 2018, when his approval was higher.
Trump has disputed the polls, claiming on social media in early August that his approval was 59 percent, but independent polling from Reuters, YouGov, AP-NORC, Pew Research, and other major outlets consistently show approval in the low-to-mid 30s through late August 2026. The Hill reported August 27 that Trump’s approval ratings reached lows of 33 percent and a polling average of 39 percent during the summer, trailing historical norms for second-term presidents approaching midterms.
Sources
- Reuters — Trump approval rating of 33 percent in August 2026 survey
- Pew Research Center — Trump approval at 34 percent in early August, lower than historical precedent
- Economist/YouGov — 63 percent disapprove of Trump’s economic handling; net approval on inflation at -42.4
- Ballotpedia — Termwide approval average comparison between first and second terms
- AP-NORC — Trump approval at 33 percent in July-August surveys
- Financial Times — 55 percent of registered voters disapprove; 20 percent of Republicans disapprove
- The Hill — August 27 reporting on summer approval lows and polling average
- Fox News — Rural voter approval collapsed from +20 to -14
- The Dispatch — Analysis of 2026 midterm outlook compared to 2018
