President Donald Trump has experienced a significant drop in his approval rating, falling below 30 percent for the first time during both his terms. This occurred as the midterm elections approach. A survey conducted by American Research Group between September 16-20 among 1,100 American adults revealed that Trump’s overall approval rating stands at 29 percent. Views on the economy showed an even lower approval rate of 26 percent.
According to the poll, 72 percent of respondents felt the U.S. economy is worsening despite the Trump administration attributing economic pressures to the previous administration. In contrast, other polls have tended to show Trump with an approval rating ranging from the mid-to-high 30s, depending on policy areas.
The last time a president’s approval rating dropped into the 20s was President George W. Bush during the 2008 global financial crisis, as tracked by Gallup.
Newsweek sought commentary from the White House following the release of these findings.
Trump’s New Approval Rating: Insights
The ARG survey released on Monday indicated a disapproval rate of 68 percent regarding Trump’s performance, up by 2 percentage points compared to August. The president’s handling of the economy received negative feedback, with 71 percent disapproving, an increase from 69 percent the previous month. Expectations for economic improvement are bleak, as only 6 percent foresee improvements in the coming year, with 70 percent anticipating further decline.
The perception of personal finances was notably poor, with under 20 percent viewing their household finances positively, against 75 percent expressing a negative outlook. Following Trump’s return to office in February 2025, nearly half of his supporters had expected economic improvement; this optimism seems to have faded significantly.
Comparison with Other Presidents’ Ratings
Gallup’s historical tracking of presidential approval ratings provides context to Trump’s figures. The last occurrence of a president’s approval rating dropping below 30 percent was during the economic crisis of 2008 involving President George W. Bush.
Comparatively, former President Barack Obama maintained an average approval rating of 48 percent and current President Joe Biden has approximately 42.2 percent. Trump’s average approval across his two terms computes to roughly 41 percent, finishing his first term at about 34 percent.