...
By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
President Donald Trump’s handling of foreign policy has reached its lowest approval rating since his return to office for a second term, according to recently released national polling data.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Newsweek that Trump "has firmly cemented his legacy as the Peace President – having ended eight wars and counting and saving millions of lives."
She added: "He is delivering on his promises, and the American people remain firmly aligned with the President’s agenda to Make America Great Again, regardless of the Mainstream Media’s so-called polling."
Read More
Why It Matters
This shift signals potential challenges for the administration as foreign affairs continue to dominate the news cycle, from the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela to Trump’s threat to acquire Greenland.
The polling reveals growing concerns among the American public about the direction of U.S. engagement abroad and the priorities of the president, which could have implications for upcoming policy decisions and the political landscape.
...
What To Know
A national Marist Poll conducted January 12-13, 2026, indicates that just 37 percent of U.S. adults approve of how Trump is handling foreign policy, with 56 percent disapproving and 7 percent unsure.
These figures represent Trump’s lowest net approval on foreign policy (-19 points) with the pollsters during his second term, with it dropping from 41 percent in July 2025 and 39 percent in April 2025.
According to the same pollsters, former Democratic President Joe Biden’s foreign‑policy numbers from 2021 showed a similar 56 percent disapproval level in September, but with higher approval earlier in the year, in July, of 46 percent, suggesting he began with a stronger footing before sliding later.
At his lowest point, according to this particular polling series, Biden scored a net approval rating on foreign policy issues of -18 points, just one point higher than Trump.
The Marist Poll’s methodology involved a multi-mode survey of 1,408 adults nationally, using live telephone interviews, text, and online responses.
Its results are statistically significant within plus or minus 3.3 percentage points, and the data were balanced to match current U.S. Census Bureau estimates of the adult population, ensuring representativeness by region, age, gender, education, income, and race/ethnicity.
The trend of Americans appearing to disapprove of Trump’s handling of foreign policy is not limited to a single polling organization.
An AP-NORC poll conducted January 8-11, 2026, found that about six in ten Americans disapprove of Trump’s approach to foreign policy, consistent with disapproval levels throughout his second term.
In the same survey, most Americans, 56 percent, said Trump had “gone too far” in using the U.S. military to intervene in other countries.
The AP‑NORC poll of 1,203 adults was conducted using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability‑based AmeriSpeak Panel, designed to represent the U.S. population. The overall margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
Similarly, an *Economist/*YouGov poll conducted between January 9 -12, 2026, of 1,602 U.S. adult citizens, found a total of 39 percent of respondents disapproved of Trump’s handling of foreign policy issues, with 50 percent disapproving and 11 percent expressing no opinion. This gave a net approval rating of -11 points.
YouGov’s poll carried a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points. It used a weighted, web‑based methodology designed to reflect the country’s demographic and voting profile.
What People Are Saying
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Newsweek: "President Trump took office with a resounding mandate from the nearly 80 million Americans who voted for him to secure our border, end Joe Biden’s inflation crisis, remove criminal illegal aliens from our streets, and restore American Greatness both at home and abroad.
"He has firmly cemented his legacy as the Peace President – having ended eight wars and counting and saving millions of lives. He is delivering on his promises, and the American people remain firmly aligned with the President’s agenda to Make America Great Again, regardless of the Mainstream Media’s so-called polling."
Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a professor at Georgetown University, said: “The U.S. electorate understandably soured on the hyperglobalization and strategic overreach that set in during the 1900s, clearing the way for the Trump era.
“But Trump has dramatically overcorrected. His America First foreign policy is out of step with geopolitical realities, opening up a wide gap between his neo-isolationist rhetoric and his neo-imperial policies. His immoral crackdown on immigration is disrupting labor markets, while his tariffs only exacerbate economic insecurity for working families. Not surprisingly, Trump’s political support is cratering.”
Marc Weller, the director of the International Law Programme at the Chatham House think-tank, said: “The united and strong European response to US threats against Denmark – a brand leader in compliance with international law along with other Nordic states – offers an indication that others remain committed to the international rule of law and will, eventually, be willing to speak up in favour of an international system governed by rules and principles that by and large yield stability and security for all, whether weak or strong.
“In opting out of this consensus, the US risks assuming the position of a rogue state within the international system. It seems unlikely that Denmark, or others, will in the future be keen to come to agreements or settlements with a state that so openly claims the right to disregard what has been agreed as a matter of law.”
What Happens Next
The record-low approval ratings for Trump’s foreign policy may influence upcoming policy decisions and legislative agendas.
Public dissatisfaction could bolster Congressional oversight and shape debate ahead of elections, especially among independents and moderate voters.
Update, 1/17/26, 3:00 a.m. ET. This article was updated with a new White House statement.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines