Donald Trump's Approval Rating Crashes to Record Low — Here's What's Driving the Decline
News Summary
President Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to its lowest point in his second term, according to a recent YouGov/Economist poll. The survey, conducted from September 12 to 15, 2025, revealed that Trump's approval rating dropped to 39%, down from 41% in the preceding three weeks and 40% in mid-August. Concurrently, 57% of Americans expressed disapproval of his handling of the presidency, resulting in a net approval of minus 18. Despite the overall decline, Trump maintains strong support among his core voter base, with 86% of 2024 Trump voters, 88% of Republicans, and 81% of conservatives approving of his performance. However, high disapproval rates among independent (64%) and moderate (65%) voters suggest growing public dissatisfaction with his administration.
Background
Donald Trump was re-elected as the U.S. President in November 2024 and is currently serving his second term. Presidential approval ratings are a critical measure of public satisfaction with a president's performance and policy direction, often influencing their legislative agenda and political leverage. Historically, presidents in their second term often face challenges in maintaining high approval, as policy fatigue or new developments can lead to shifts in public sentiment. Support from independent and moderate voters is particularly crucial for a president to advance legislation in Congress and maintain overall political capital.
In-Depth AI Insights
What are the deeper investment implications of declining presidential approval, particularly among independent voters? - Increased policy uncertainty. A drop in approval may signal greater resistance to the Trump administration's domestic policies (e.g., fiscal reform, infrastructure spending), raising market concerns about future policy direction. - Risk of legislative gridlock. Opposition from independent voters could weaken the President's bargaining power in Congress, increasing the difficulty of passing major legislation and potentially impacting specific sectors or macroeconomic stability. - Potential for heightened market volatility. Investors may re-price political risk, leading to greater fluctuations in certain policy-sensitive stocks or sectors, such as those affected by trade policies. How might this erosion of broader support impact the administration's policy agenda and its market reception? - Weakened mandate. A general decline in approval could be interpreted as a diminishing public mandate for his policies, placing greater political pressure on the administration when pursuing controversial reforms. - Domestic policy struggles. Given partisan divides, a loss of moderate and independent voter support would make it harder for the President's domestic agenda (e.g., energy policies, regulatory reform) to gain bipartisan backing, potentially leading to slow implementation or compromises. - Potentially softer trade policies. To regain broader public favor, the administration might adopt a more pragmatic and moderate stance on trade or foreign policy, which could positively impact global supply chains and multinational corporations. Given the strong core support, where might investors still find stability or opportunity amidst this general decline? - Beneficiaries of "America First" policies. Despite the overall decline, Trump's core base remains steadfast, implying that sectors aligned with the "America First" agenda (e.g., defense, specific domestic manufacturing) may continue to receive policy support and funding. - Companies with strong lobbying capabilities. In an environment of increased policy uncertainty, large corporations capable of effectively lobbying the government to influence policy decisions in their favor might demonstrate more stable market performance. - Politically resilient sectors. Industries whose fundamentals are less susceptible to shifts in government policy (e.g., essential consumer goods, certain innovative tech sectors), or companies with strong economic moats that can withstand political turbulence, may serve as investor havens.