Key Points – A recent YouGov/Yahoo News “Corruption Poll” (May 2025) found President Trump with a 41% approval and 54% disapproval rating.
-A majority (51%) believe Trump and his family are corrupt, a perception described as “largely baked in.”
-The poll also revealed significant public disapproval of specific Trump administration actions: 54% believe the Qatar plane gift is a bribe, with 51% disapproving of the gift itself.
-Similarly, 49% disapproved of Trump’s involvement with the $TRUMP memecoin linked to White House access. Overall, 53% of respondents believe the country is headed in the wrong direction.
More Problems for Trump
Donald Trump has become more unpopular of late, at least judging by the RealClearPolling average of the latest polls. As of Monday, Trump’s disapproval rating has reached above 50 percent, after it crept towards even in late May.
The president’s average disapproval rating is now at 50.4 percent, with his approval rating at 47.5 percent, a spread of -2.9 percent.
While a recent Rasmussen Reports survey has Trump at 7+, most other recent polls have him in negative territory. The most recent Economist/YouGov poll has him at -6, while a Yahoo News poll (more on that below) has him down at -13. Several other recent polls have shown Trump in negative territory, albeit within single digits.
However, there is some good news for the president, in the crosstabs of that YouGov/Yahoo poll.
A Millennial Turn
According to a Newsweek analysis of the YouGov/Yahoo poll, Trump has improved his performance with the voters of the millennial generation, which is currently between 30 and 44 years old, born between 1981 and 1996. With that particular age cohort, Trump has 41 percent approval, up from 33 percent in April.
However, despite improving his numbers, Trump remains in negative territory with that generation. He had 59 percent disapproval with millennials in April, which is down to 51 percent in May.
“For Trump, a rebound in support from voters age 29 to 44 could help stabilize his approval ratings at a time when he has faced discontent over issues such as immigration and the economy,” Newsweek said of the poll results. “While millennials have historically leaned Democratic, even a modest uptick in support during his second term could strengthen his political leverage and influence the landscape for the 2026 midterms and beyond.”
Newsweek also noted that Trump’s polling numbers hit a nadir in April, especially following the “Liberation Day” tariffs and the ensuing chaos. Trump’s numbers have for the most part improved since then, although he remains underwater in most approval polls.
Other Takeaways from Trump Poll
There are some other interesting numbers for the president in that Yahoo/YouGov poll. For one thing, a small majority of those surveyed, 54 percent, believe that “the government of Qatar is trying to bribe President Trump by giving his administration a luxury jet,” while just 25 percent don’t believe that’s the case. Meanwhile, 51 percent of those surveyed disapprove of the gift, while 32 percent approve.
When asked about Trump’s crypto coin, the owners of which were invited to a special White House reception last month, 49 percent of those asked disapproved while just 23 percent approved of the president’s involvement in “a cryptocurrency business valued at around $1 billion at the same time the Trump administration has loosened cryptocurrency enforcement and regulations.” When asked about that dinner, a full 53 percent disapproved.
When asked, point blank, whether they think “Donald Trump and his family are corrupt,” a majority (51 percent) said yes. Somewhat intriguingly, 51 percent answered yes regardless of whether they were asked before that question about the Qatar jet and the crypto dinner. And answers were similar in previous surveys about Trump.
“In other words, perceptions of corruption regarding Trump and his family are largely baked in at this point,” Yahoo said in its release about the poll.
While the poll is titled the “Yahoo News YouGov Corruption Poll May 2025,” other questions are asked that aren’t necessarily about corruption.
When asked if things in the country are headed in the right or wrong direction, 35 percent of respondents answered “right,” while 53 percent answered “wrong.”
And on whether they approve or disapprove of Trump’s performance, 41 percent say they approve, and 54 percent say that they disapprove.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
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