Trump's Approval Rating Sinks to New Second-Term Low in Pew Poll
President Donald Trump's approval rating has dropped to the lowest point of his second term, according to a new Pew Research Center survey released Thursday, less than a month before the November midterm elections.
Just 30% of Americans approve of the job Trump is doing, while 68% disapprove. That is down 4 points from Pew's July survey and close to the 29% he received at the end of his first term following the January 6 Capitol riot.
Losing Ground With His Own Voters
The poll shows Trump's support slipping even among the people who put him back in the White House. Among validated 2024 Trump voters, 67% approve of his performance and 31% disapprove. At the start of his second term, 95% of those voters approved, Pew Research Center found.
The drop is especially sharp among younger supporters. Only 49% of his younger voters, those under 35, approve of the job he is doing. Among his 2024 voters, 57% of Hispanic voters approve, compared with 69% of white voters.
The survey of 5,062 adults was conducted from September 28 to October 4 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.6 percentage points. CNN analyst Aaron Blake called it "the first quality poll this term to show him dropping that low," Mediaite reported.
The results follow other recent surveys showing Trump's approval hitting new lows. An AP-NORC poll conducted in late September put his approval at 31%.
A Sour National Mood
Americans are deeply unhappy with the direction of the country. Only 22% say they are satisfied with the way things are going, while 77% are dissatisfied. Even among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, satisfaction has fallen to 39%, down from 54% at the start of the year.
About a third of Americans approve of Trump's handling of the Iran war, down from 37% in March.
The economy remains the top concern heading into the election, with 84% of registered voters calling it very important. Other key issues include the future of democracy at 73%, health care at 68%, education at 62% and immigration at 59%.
Democrats More Fired Up for Midterms
The poll also points to an enthusiasm gap that could spell trouble for Republicans in November. On a generic ballot, 44% of registered voters say they would back the Democratic candidate for the House, compared with 36% for the Republican.
Democratic voters are also far more motivated. Sixty-three percent of those backing Democratic candidates say they are "extremely motivated" to vote, compared with 46% of Republican supporters. Half of Democratic supporters say they have given the election a lot of thought, compared with 36% of Republican supporters.
Trump himself is a major factor. Sixty-three percent of voters say he will factor into their House vote, with 44% saying they will be voting against him and 19% saying they will vote for him. Among Democratic supporters, 84% say their vote is a vote against Trump, while about half of Republican supporters say their vote is for him.
That is a shift from the last midterm cycle. In October 2022, 36% of voters said their House vote was against then-President Joe Biden. Republicans also held the edge in engagement back then, with 76% of their supporters saying it really mattered which party won Congress, compared with 72% of Democrats. This year, 78% of Democratic supporters say it really matters, compared with 69% of Republican supporters.
What Comes Next
The White House did not issue a formal response to the Pew survey. When CNN's Kristen Holmes asked Trump about his falling support among Latino voters, he dismissed the network as "fake news."
The midterm elections will be held November 3, when control of both the House and Senate will be on the line.
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