Trump’s handling of the economy is at its lowest point in AP-NORC polling

President Trump’s economic and immigration approval ratings have plummeted in recent months, according to a new AP-NORC poll, potentially threatening Republican prospects for the 2026 midterm elections.

Only 31% of Americans now approve of Trump’s economic management, down from 40% in March, marking the lowest economic approval rating of either of his terms. The decline represents a significant blow to a president who has built his political brand largely around economic prosperity.

The poll results come as the administration faces growing criticism across multiple policy areas. Trump’s approval on crime has fallen from 53% to 43%, while his immigration approval has declined from 49% to 38% since March. These drops are particularly concerning for Republicans as these issues were once considered Trump’s strongest political assets.

Border security remains a relative bright spot for the president, though even there his approval has slipped slightly to 50%, down from 55% in September. The issue still garners more support than his broader immigration policies, with about one-third of independents approving of his border management while only 26% approve of his immigration approach overall.

Jim Rollins, an 82-year-old independent from Georgia, reflects this nuanced view: “Taking people out of kindergarten, and people going home for Thanksgiving, taking them off a plane. If they are criminals, sure,” said Rollins, who supported Trump in his first election but not since. “But the percentages—based on the government’s own statistics—say that they’re not criminals. They just didn’t register.”

The poll reveals growing Republican discomfort with Trump’s economic policies. Only 69% of Republicans now approve of his economic management, down from 78% in March. Larry Reynolds, a 74-year-old Republican voter from Ohio, expressed concern about escalating tariffs, saying they have created a “vicious circle now where they aren’t really justifying the tariffs.”

Despite these policy-specific declines, Trump’s overall approval rating has fallen less dramatically, from 42% in March to 36% now. This suggests that while Americans may disagree with specific aspects of his governance, his base remains largely intact—unlike former President Biden, who struggled to maintain Democratic support during economic challenges in his term.

Health care continues to be a weak point for the administration, with only about 30% of Americans approving of Trump’s performance in this area. The poll was conducted in early December as the president and Congress struggled to reach a bipartisan deal to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at month’s end.

Government management also remains problematic for Trump following last month’s record-long government shutdown. Approximately 35% of Americans approve of his handling of the federal government, down from 43% in March, despite the shutdown ending with what many viewed as a Democratic capitulation.

Public perception of the economy has remained stagnant despite the change in administration. About 68% of Americans continue to rate the economy as “poor,” unchanged from October polling and consistent with views during Biden’s final year in office.

Shaniqwa Copeland, a 30-year-old independent from Florida, exemplifies the complex judgments many Americans are making. While approving of Trump’s presidency overall, she criticizes his immigration enforcement tactics, particularly masked federal agents conducting large raids. “Now they’re just picking up anybody,” Copeland said. “They just like, pick up people, grabbing anybody. It’s crazy.”

The AP-NORC poll, conducted December 4-8 with a sample of 1,146 adults from NORC’s AmeriSpeak Panel, has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.