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By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
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Donald Trump’s disapproval rating has reached a new high this week, according to fresh analysis from polling aggregator the Silver Bulletin.
It comes despite his overall approval appearing to have stabilized after months of decline in the same polling tracker.
Newsweek contacted the White House via email for comment.
Read More on Politics
White House spokesman Kush Desai told Newsweek last week: "The Trump administration remains laser-focused on continuing to cool inflation, accelerate economic growth, secure our border, and mass deport criminal illegal aliens."
Why It Matters
Nate Silver’s Silver Bulletin average put Trump’s net approval at negative 13.7 points as of February 9, 2026, and noted that the share who strongly disapprove broke 46 percent for the first time, underscoring persistent political headwinds for the White House and Republicans in a key midterm year.
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What To Know
Trump has broken a new, unwanted record with a leading polling expert's approval rating tracker, underscoring how polarizing his presidency has become.
Writing for the Silver Bulletin, senior elections analyst Eli McKown‑Dawson reported that Trump’s net approval now stands at –13.7, a modest improvement from –14.6 one week earlier.
The shift, he said, is driven largely by a handful of polls that were more favorable to the president than the recent norm.
TIPP measured Trump at –11, Harvard/HarrisX at –6, and an outlier survey from InsiderAdvantage that put him slightly above water at +1.
But the improving trend line does not tell the full story.
McKown‑Dawson noted that the share of Americans who strongly disapprove of the president rose above 46 percent for the first time, marking a new peak for the Silver Bulletin tracker in intense opposition to Trump’s leadership.
He also pointed out that Trump’s current –13.7 net approval is lower than President Joe Biden’s standing at the same point in his term (Biden was at –12.2).
What Other Major Aggregators Show
Broader polling averages underscore the depth of Trump’s disapproval.
CNN’s Poll of Polls, updated through February 5, 2026, puts Trump at 39 percent approval and 59 percent disapproval, for a –20 net rating. The aggregator draws from a blend of high‑quality national surveys, including NPR/PBS/Marist, Marquette Law School, Pew Research Center, and Reuters/Ipsos.
Rasmussen’s daily tracker, more traditionally conservative, now puts him at 42 percent approval and 57 percent disapproval—a net –15—underscoring how persistent the negative mood remains across different polling methods and voter groups.
The stability of Trump’s overall average obscures what analysts say is a fragile political landscape for the president.
Silver has warned that Trump’s approval rating could deteriorate further as more polls fully reflect the fallout from major national events, including recent controversies that were only partially captured in earlier field dates.
While some individual surveys this week showed modestly stronger numbers for Trump, the long‑term trend remains negative.
What People Are Saying
McKown‑Dawson wrote: “After a consistent downward trend, Donald Trump’s approval rating has leveled out and somewhat improved this week. Today, it’s up to -13.7 on net, compared to -14.6 one week ago.
“Even still, the share of Americans who strongly disapprove of Trump broke 46 percent for the first time yesterday.”
Kush Desai, White House spokesman, in an earlier statement to Newsweek: “Nearly 80 million Americans gave President Trump a resounding Election Day mandate to end Joe Biden’s economic disaster and immigration crisis. The Trump administration remains laser‑focused on continuing to cool inflation, accelerate economic growth, secure our border and mass deport criminal illegal aliens.”
Trump on Truth Social last week: "The highest Poll Numbers I have ever received. Obviously, people like a strong and powerful Country, with the best economy, EVER!"
What Happens Next
With intensity of disapproval reaching fresh highs—and CNN’s showing Trump 20 points underwater—the political headwinds facing the White House remain formidable as the country moves deeper into 2026.
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