Key Points and Summary – President Donald Trump recently claimed on Truth Social that he has the “highest poll numbers I’ve ever had,” suggesting figures in the 60s and even 70s.
-However, this is verifiably false. No legitimate national poll shows his approval rating anywhere near those numbers.
-The RealClearPolling average currently places his approval at 46.1%, with a disapproval rating of 51.2%.
-While some individual polls are more favorable, none break 55%. This discrepancy highlights a narrative strategy to project an image of overwhelming popularity, framing his actions as backed by an incontestable mandate.
Trump Has A New Approval Ratings Problem
“Except what is written and broadcast in the Fake News, I now have the highest poll numbers I’ve ever had, some in the 60’s and even 70’s. Thank you,” Donald Trump said on Truth Social on August 24, echoing similar sentiments he’s given in recent interviews.
This is very much untrue. While presidential polling results fluctuate wildly, depending on methodology, sample, and other factors, no legitimate poll taken in the last several months has had Trump’s approval rating in the 60s or the 70s.
The RealClearPolling average, as of Tuesday, has Trump with an approval rating of 46.1 percent, with a disapproval rating of 51.2 percent, a spread of 5.1. It’s not the worst rating of his presidency, as the negative spread has gone above 7 percent on a couple of occasions, in April (when the “Liberation Day” tariffs were announced) and again in July (at the height of the Jeffrey Epstein story being in the news.)
However, Trump was in positive territory in the RCP average from his return to the presidency until March 12, and he hasn’t been out of the red since then.
Drilling Down
Of the individual polls in the RCP average, different ones show different things. The most recent Harvard-Harris Poll has Trump with 47 percent approval, while Economist/YouGov has his approval at just 43 percent. The generally pro-Republican Rasmussen Reports poll has Trump at 50 percent approval, while the strongest result for the president in the RCP poll is from Insider Advantage, which had him at 54 percent approval. While the positive spread for Trump in that poll is 10 points, it’s still far below his self-proclaimed approval rating of “in the 60s or even 70s.”
Trump is, and likely always will be, a figure who stirs strong reactions, both positive and negative.
“Americans who strongly disapprove of Trump’s job performance outnumber those who strongly approve — by a lot,” YouGov said in their poll release. “47% of U.S. adult citizens strongly disapprove of Trump, twice as many as the 23% who strongly approve.”
An MSNBC column pointed out the discrepancy.
“Trump seemingly made the “60’s and even 70’s” numbers up out of thin air — or he is misleadingly referring to some kind of polling reflecting his own party’s approval of him, which remains high,” Zeshan Aleem writes. “But I find it harder to laugh off Trump’s misinformation and disinformation about his purported popularity the way I once did. It’s not just a project of narcissism. It’s a narrative designed to frame all of his actions — including authoritarian ones — as backed by an incontestable popular mandate.”
More Bad News From Gallup
Gallup is not part of the RCP average, but this week it released a new poll with more bad news for the president.
“A new Gallup poll finds 40% of Americans approving of President Donald Trump’s overall job performance, in line with support for him in June and July after registering 43% or higher in the first five months of the year,” the poll release said. “Similar percentages of Americans in the Aug. 1-20 survey back Trump’s performance on the economy (37%) and foreign affairs (39%). Neither rating has changed meaningfully over the past month, but each is five percentage points below its high point in February.”
The poll did find that 93 percent of Republicans approve of Trump’s job performance, while just 1 percent of Democrats do.
“The 1% of Democrats approving of Trump today matches their lowest approval rating for any Republican president, tying the figure recorded in June 2025,” Gallup said. “While strikingly low, this is on par with Democrats’ 2% approval rating of Trump in June 2020 and July 2025 and similar to their 3% ratings of George W. Bush in 2008 during the global financial crisis.”
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, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
Military Affairs
China’s Stealth Air Force Has 1 Mission
