From immigration to bombing Iran: How Trump fares in polling after half a year.
On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump pledged to lower prices, deport millions of immigrants living in the country illegally, and put 鈥淎merica first鈥� in global affairs. Voters elected him in part because they more on those issues 鈥� especially the economy and immigration 鈥� than they did then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
Six months into Mr. Trump鈥檚 second term, that trust appears shaken. In a poll this month by and The Economist, 57% of respondents said the country was headed in the wrong direction. That鈥檚 an increase of 7 percentage points since of the Trump presidency. In the same survey, slim majorities disapproved of Mr. Trump鈥檚 handling of the economy and immigration. And , 51% opposed his foreign policies.
Most U.S. presidents experience a drop in their approval ratings after the first few months in office, as the glow of campaign promises confront governing realities. Mr. Trump has been quick to try to fulfill his agenda: He set a record for executive actions issued during his first 100 days in office, while pushing the boundaries of executive power. The latest public opinion polls indicate these actions do not have broad public support.
Why We Wrote This
President Donald Trump started his second presidency with a burst of executive actions on issues core to his electoral success, such as the economy and immigration. Public support for him on those issues is starting to slip.
Dissatisfaction with Mr. Trump鈥檚 handling of the economy and immigration increased by 14 and 11 percentage points, respectively, between February and July. Other polls released in the last month 鈥� from , and 鈥� show the same trend.
Some of the president鈥檚 policies have drawn more support than opposition. Those include ending taxes on tips and overtime wages and more stringent work requirements for adults without disabilities or children receiving Medicaid, both of which were included in the tax and spending bill Mr. Trump signed into law on July 4.
The president鈥檚 overall approval rating has declined 7 percentage points since the start of his term and now stands at 40%, . That鈥檚 in line with public opinion during his first term.
Gallup
The economy
In most polls, voters rated the economy as the in the 2024 election and gave Mr. Trump high marks for their expectations of how he would handle Americans鈥� pocketbook concerns.
The president鈥檚 signature economic move 鈥� threatening, and in some cases imposing, high tariffs against most countries 鈥� was previewed on the campaign trail. Since taking office, he has announced tariffs, delayed some, and changed the rates of others. Worries over his on-and-off-again tariffs have shown up in polling.
In April, nearly three-quarters of voters that tariffs would hurt the economy in the short term, and 53% said they would in the long term. Some 60% of people told YouGov in July that they disapproved of how the president has handled inflation, compared with 43% in . The U.S. inflation rate ticked up slightly in May and June.
The newly passed recent tax-and-spending law, expected to add about $3 trillion to the national debt, seems to have also ruffled some feathers. A plurality of Americans (49%) opposed the bill in June, and 54% said they believed it will have a on the economy, according to Pew.
The U.S. economy, however, has proven resilient. Despite economists鈥� warnings that President Trump鈥檚 policies could drive the U.S. into a recession, inflation hasn鈥檛 risen sharply.听
The two political parties remain starkly divided: Since the 2024 election, Democrats鈥� confidence in the economy has cratered by 92 points, while Republicans鈥� confidence has skyrocketed by 95 points, according to Gallup鈥檚 Economic Confidence Index, which rates Americans鈥� views of current economic conditions on a scale from -100 to 100.
Gallup
Immigration
On Inauguration Day, Mr. Trump signed a series of executive orders meant to seal the U.S. southern border and expel what he called an immigration 鈥渋nvasion.鈥� Border Patrol encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border, a proxy for illegal immigration, have dropped precipitously since.
The Trump administration is also pushing for the largest deportation campaign in U.S. history, drawing protests over arrests that include people without criminal backgrounds.
Amid these efforts, Americans report less worry over immigration and more recognition of its benefits, compared with the prior four years.
About 30% of Americans want immigration to decrease, according to . That鈥檚 down from 55% in 2024. Nearly 80% of those surveyed said that immigration is a good thing for the country, an increase of 15 percentage points since last year and a reversal of a four-year downward trend.
Support has grown sharply among Republicans especially. In June 2024, only 39% of Republicans said immigration was good for the country. That鈥檚 risen to 64% today.
The recent numbers fall more in line with results from before illegal border crossings surged under the Biden administration, precipitating growing concern about the country鈥檚 immigration policies. Support for more enforcement efforts 鈥� such as hiring more border agents 鈥� remains strong (at 59%, according to Gallup) but has also declined.
Some 62% of respondents to Gallup鈥檚 July survey said they oppose Mr. Trump鈥檚 handling of immigration overall, including 45%聽who聽strongly聽oppose it.
Gallup
Foreign policy
For the past two decades, Americans have felt generally than satisfied with the nation鈥檚 standing in the world, in Gallup surveys taken each February. This year鈥檚 survey showed a modest rise in satisfaction 鈥� to 39% 鈥� whether related to Mr. Trump鈥檚 return to the White House or for other reasons. Satisfaction had risen 鈥� in one year to 53% 鈥� during his first term as president.
But so far in his new term, Mr. Trump鈥檚 foreign policy decisions, from his moves on trade to his handling of Israel鈥檚 war with Iran, have proven unpopular with a majority of Americans.
In a released June 26, some 54% of respondents disapproved of Mr. Trump鈥檚 foreign policy, and 53% disapproved of his handling of the Israel-Iran war.
Particularly noteworthy was Mr. Trump鈥檚 decision to bomb nuclear facilities in Iran. In a late June , a plurality of Americans (45%) opposed the strikes.
Quinnipiac University Poll, NBC News
In an earlier Quinnipiac poll, released June 11, Mr. Trump鈥檚 handling of trade and the war in Ukraine were his weakest issues, with 57% disapproving.
Americans also opposed some of Mr. Trump鈥檚 retreats from global alliances in a Pew poll released April 8. Pluralities (45% and 46%) opposed ending U.S. Agency for International Development programs and withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, and a majority (52%) disapproved of leaving the World Health Organization.
