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President Trump’s Approval Rating Remains Steady Despite Eventful Second Term
President Donald Trump’s approval rating has remained remarkably consistent one year into his second term, with about 4 in 10 Americans supporting his performance as president, according to a recent AP-NORC poll. This stability persists despite significant policy shifts and controversial actions that have characterized his return to office.
The poll, conducted in January by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, reveals that Trump’s approval numbers have barely moved since March 2025 when he began his second term. This pattern mirrors the stability seen throughout his first presidency, when his approval ratings typically hovered between 40-45%.
Political analysts note this consistency may reflect the deeply entrenched partisan divide in American politics. “The polarization we’re seeing in these numbers suggests many voters made up their minds about Trump long ago,” said Dr. Rebecca Meadows, professor of political science at Georgetown University. “The traditional swings in presidential approval we saw in previous administrations seem to be a thing of the past.”
Despite the overall stability, the poll uncovers several areas of vulnerability for the Republican president. Most notably, his handling of the economy continues to be a weakness – a striking contrast to his first term when economic management was considered one of his strengths.
Only 37% of Americans approve of Trump’s economic policies, a modest improvement from the 31% recorded in December but still historically low for him. This tepid support comes despite Trump’s repeated assertions that “the Trump economic boom has officially begun.”
The president faces a significant perception gap on economic issues, with approximately 6 in 10 Americans saying his policies have worsened the cost of living. Only 2 in 10 believe he has helped in this area. This represents a challenging pivot point for a president who previously enjoyed strong economic ratings during his first term.
Immigration, once a strong point for Trump, has also seen declining support. Just 38% of Americans now approve of his handling of immigration, down significantly from 49% in March. This slide comes amid an intensified deportation campaign that has spread to cities across the country.
The poll was conducted shortly after the death of Renee Good, who was shot and killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis, an incident that drew national attention to Trump’s enforcement policies. However, the survey suggests Americans remain somewhat divided on Trump’s overall approach, with about half saying he has “gone too far” with deportations – a figure unchanged since April.
Trump’s second term has been marked by a notable shift toward foreign intervention, a move that appears at odds with the “America First” platform he campaigned on. The poll indicates about 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of his approach to foreign policy, with 56% believing he has “gone too far” in using military force abroad.
Recent high-profile actions, including efforts to gain control of Greenland and the controversial military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, have not significantly altered this perception. These foreign policy initiatives come at a time when most Americans report being primarily concerned with domestic economic issues.
“There’s a disconnect between Trump’s foreign policy focus and what voters seem to care about most – their economic security,” noted political strategist James Carville. “The polling suggests Americans want more attention on kitchen-table issues.”
Despite these challenges, Trump maintains strong support from his base. Republicans overwhelmingly approve of his performance across all policy areas measured in the survey. Meanwhile, Democrats remain nearly unanimously opposed to his presidency, highlighting the entrenched partisan divide that has defined American politics in recent years.
The AP-NORC poll of 1,203 adults was conducted January 8-11 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
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14 Comments
Quite remarkable how Trump’s approval ratings have remained so consistent, even with the turbulence of his second term. Speaks to the deep divisions in the country.
Agree, the level of polarization is really striking. It will be interesting to see if anything can shift public opinion at this point.
Fascinating to see how Trump’s approval ratings have held steady despite the eventful nature of his second term. Speaks to the deep-rooted nature of political divisions in the US.
The analysis about the impact of polarization is insightful. It really does seem that many Americans have already made up their minds about Trump, for better or worse.
It’s noteworthy that the traditional swings in approval ratings don’t seem to apply to the Trump presidency. Speaks to the unique political dynamics at play.
The stability in Trump’s approval numbers is intriguing. Suggests that persuading voters to change their minds about him will be an uphill battle, no matter what he does.
The insights about the impact of polarization on presidential approval ratings are really thought-provoking. Curious to see how this dynamic evolves going forward.
Agreed, the entrenched nature of these partisan views is quite striking. It will be interesting to see if anything can shift the needle on public opinion about Trump.
Curious to see if any events or policies in Trump’s second term manage to shift public opinion, or if the partisan divide is truly that entrenched. Fascinating dynamic.
The stability in Trump’s approval ratings is a testament to the strength of partisan loyalties in America today. It will be intriguing to see if that changes over time.
The consistent approval ratings do seem to suggest that many voters have already made up their minds about Trump. Curious to see if that changes at all over the course of his second term.
Agreed, the polarization is striking. Even major policy shifts or controversial actions don’t seem to sway people’s views much.
Interesting to see Trump’s approval ratings staying relatively stable, despite the ups and downs of his second term. Speaks to the deep partisan divides in the country.
This poll reflects the reality that in today’s political climate, presidential approval has become quite entrenched and resistant to change. Voters are firmly in their camps.