Trump Down to ‘All-Time Low’ in New Poll

Donald Trump’s overall approval rating remains underwater. Per the RealClearPolling average, as of Wednesday afternoon, 50.3 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump’s job performance, while 46.9 percent approve.

However, per Newsweek, a pair of positive polls recently arrived for the president.

The Trump Comeback According to the Polls

The latest poll tracker from Rasmussen shows Trump with an approval rating of 50 percent, compared to a disapproval rating of 48 percent. While the Rasmussen poll has traditionally leaned Republican, at least by reputation, it had placed Trump in negative territory throughout most of April.

Another recent poll, from J.L. Partners, gave Trump an approval rating of 48 percent, compared to 42 percent disapproval. The previous version of that poll placed Trump’s approval rating at 47 percent.

Most of the Polling News is Bad: All Time Low in One Measure

However, as acknowledged by Newsweek, these polls are outliers that have gone against the recent polling consensus on Trump.

The Morning Consult poll, by contrast, showed Trump with 45 percent approval and 52 percent disapproval, which represents an all-time low for Trump across his two presidencies. Newsweek’s own polling tracker has Trump at 46 percent approval and 50 percent disapproval.

Newsweek’s and RCP’s averages are different, based on both the methodology, which polls are included, and the weighting.

YouGov Sees it Worse for the President

An Economist/YouGov poll, taken between April 13 and 15, also had a negative 8-point spread, with a 45 percent approval rating and 53 percent disapproval.

Of males, 48 percent viewed Trump favorably, a number that dropped to 36 percent among women.

Elon Musk, meanwhile, is even less popular than Trump. The “special government employee” is seen favorably by 40 percent of overall respondents and unfavorably by 55 percent. The male/female split is even more stark with Musk, with 50 percent of men but only 30 percent of women having a positive view of the mogul-turned-Trump adviser.

This poll, though, was taken before the publication of the Wall Street Journal’s report about Musk’s strange behavior with the mother of his children.

In that poll, when asked if the country is “generally headed in the right direction,” 36 percent answered yes, while 53 percent said “Off on the wrong track,” and 12 percent were undecided. Of those who voted for Donald Trump in 2024, 72 percent answered “right direction,” while 15 percent said “off on the wrong track.”

When asked if things in the country are “under control” or “out of control,” 30 percent answered the former and 57 percent chose the latter, although a full 26 percent of those who voted for Trump answered “out of control.”

Looking at 2028: Trump 3rd Term?

There was another poll released this week that found a surprising result about Trump.

The Yale Youth Poll, a student-led research project of  young American voters, found that Trump’s approval rating is 46.5 percent among overall voters, while 52.7 percent view the president unfavorably. Trump’s net approval with voters under 30, however, is -17.9.

When the question was asked about 2028, and Trump was included as a candidate, even though he is constitutionally ineligible to serve a third term — he would lead the polls with 56 percent support. Without Trump in the race, 53 percent of Republican voters would support Vice President J.D. Vance.

On the Democratic side, former vice president and 2024 presidential nominee Kamala Harris would lead the pack with 27.5 percent support, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in second place with 21.3 percent support. Former Treasury Secretary Pete Buttigieg is in third with 14 percent.

All three of those Democrats have positive approval ratings among Democrats, with Harris and AOC both coming in with approval ratings of over 60 percent. The only Democratic-associated figures listed in the poll with negative approval ratings among the party are Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) and ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith, who has flirted with a future run for political office.

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