© EPA/ GRAEME SLOAN Trump is losing support among independent voters.
The approval rate of US President Donald Trump continues its downward trend, with over a third of Americans expressing disapproval with how he is handling his presidential duties, according to a fresh survey from the Pew Research Center.
The study indicates Trump’s approval rate has decreased by 3 percentage points since last autumn, now standing at 37 percent. Republican backing remains robust at 73 percent, although this figure represents a slight decrease from a survey conducted last September.
Concurrently, 25% of Republicans and a significant 94% of Democrats voiced disapproval of Trump’s performance as president. Only 5% of Democrats indicated they approve of his performance.
Half of the Americans polled stated that the administration’s performance since Trump assumed office last year has been below their expectations. In contrast, 21% of those surveyed said it has been better than anticipated, and approximately a quarter indicated that the administration’s policies have generally fulfilled their expectations.
The proportion of Americans who endorse all or most of Trump’s policies has also shrunk, from 35% last year after his return to the White House to 27%. Researchers attribute this trend primarily to decreasing backing among Republicans.
Numerous survey respondents conveyed a lack of faith in Trump across various metrics, including his leadership qualities, mental and physical fitness.
Likewise, in comparison to the preceding year, confidence in Trump’s capacity to uphold US democratic values, appoint skilled advisors, and conduct himself ethically as president has diminished.
The erosion of trust among Republicans has resulted in an 8 percentage point decrease in overall confidence in Trump’s ethical conduct since February 2025. At that time, over half of Republicans — 55% — expressed that they were “extremely” or “very” certain that Trump was acting ethically as his second term began. Currently, that figure has fallen to 42%.
Overall confidence in Trump’s ethics as president was already comparatively low in February of the previous year, registering at 29%, but it has since further declined by another 8 percentage points.
Trump’s approval rating, especially among independent voters, has been significantly diminishing in recent weeks, amidst widespread condemnation of his administration’s actions pertaining to immigration policy and rights.
The Pew survey was already in progress when a U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot Alex Pretty, 37, in Minneapolis on Saturday morning, marking the second fatal shooting involving federal law enforcement this month.
Democrats have denounced the administration for its response to these killings and its deportation strategies. On Thursday, senators rejected a bill intended to fund the Department of Homeland Security, asserting it did not adequately limit the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, pushing the nation closer to a partial government shutdown.
The poll also uncovered substantial support among Democrats for their congressional leadership to actively oppose Trump’s policies, with 82% of respondents expressing that Democratic leaders should challenge the president, even if doing so complicates addressing “critical issues.”
The survey was carried out from January 20 to 26 among 8,512 U.S. adults. The margin of statistical error is 1.4 percentage points.