President Donald Trump speaks to the press before boarding Air Force One, Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., en route to speak at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy commencement.

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Sam Stevenson

By Sam Stevenson

Associate News Editor

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President Donald Trump's job approval rating has fallen to its lowest level among Republicans, according to a Fox News poll—a development that could complicate GOP strategy heading into the 2026 midterm elections.

The national survey, conducted May 15-18 among 1,002 registered voters, puts Trump's overall job approval at 39 percent, with 61 percent disapproving. It marks the highest disapproval figure recorded in Fox News polling during Trump's presidency.

While Trump continues to command majority support among Republicans, the data shows that backing from his own party has weakened steadily over the past year, particularly on economic issues. Between February and May alone, Republican net approval fell by 14 points in Fox News surveys. Pollsters say the shift is being driven almost entirely by voter anxiety over affordability and inflation.

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Key Points

The Fox News poll released this week shows Trump's approval falling across key groups, including Republicans, as concerns over the economy and inflation intensify.

"Despite consistently strong GOP support, the president's numbers are leaking a bit," said Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News Poll with Democrat Chris Anderson. "Make no mistake; it's all about affordability. Independents jumped ship in 2025, and now non-MAGA Republicans and other core constituencies are wavering."

Signs of weakening support among Republican voters could pose risks for party unity and candidate positioning ahead of the 2026 midterms. Republican candidates and strategists face a more fluid political environment as Trump's standing with core GOP voters becomes less secure.

Why It Matters

Trump's political strength has long rested on durable Republican backing, even during periods of broader national unpopularity. A sustained decline among GOP voters—even from historically high levels—suggests underlying unease that could shape turnout and primary dynamics.

At the same time, the data points to a consistent driver: voter concerns over affordability and the cost of living, which are now weighing heavily on perceptions of the administration's performance.

What To Know

The latest Fox News poll was carried out by Beacon Research, a Democratic-aligned firm, and Shaw & Company Research, a Republican-aligned firm, using a mix of live telephone interviews and online responses drawn from a national voter file. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Overall, Trump's approval rating stands at 39 percent, down three points from April and 10 points below levels at the start of his second term. Disapproval, meanwhile, has risen to 61 percent, the highest recorded in the Fox News polling series for his presidency.

The issue breakdown underscores where support has eroded most sharply.

On the economy, 29 percent of voters approve of Trump's performance, with 71 percent disapproving. Inflation represents his weakest showing: 24 percent approval against 76 percent disapproval. Foreign policy is similarly negative at 38 percent approval to 62 percent disapproval.

Even areas that were previously stronger have softened. On border security, voters are now split at 49 percent approval to 51 percent disapproval—the first time this issue has tipped into net negative territory during this term. Handling of the recent China summit is also underwater, with 45 percent approving and 54 percent disapproving.

Alongside these issue ratings, the longer-term trend in Republican support shows a clear shift from early second-term highs.

Republican Net Approval Trend (Fox News Poll)

During his second term, Trump has seen a 24-point drop from the series high of 84 in March 2025 to 60 in May 2026.

While Republican approval remains strongly positive overall, the direction of change is notable. The decline has been gradual but persistent, with sharper movement in recent months.

The data also points to divisions within the GOP coalition. Approval on key issues such as the economy is significantly lower among non-MAGA Republicans than among the party's core base, suggesting uneven levels of support across factions.

Taken together, the numbers present a consistent picture: Trump's overall standing is weighed down by deep national disapproval, while his Republican support—though still high in absolute terms—is no longer as stable as it was earlier in his second term.

President Donald Trump speaks to the press before boarding Air Force One, Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., en route to speak at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy commencement.

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What the White House Says

The White House has played down the significance of recent polling, pointing instead to Trump's 2024 election victory as the clearest measure of public support.

Spokesperson Davis Ingle has repeatedly framed that result as the administration's core mandate, noting that almost 80 million Americans returned Trump to the White House and "overwhelmingly elected" him to deliver what he described as a "popular and commonsense agenda."

Ingle argued that the president's focus remains on economic priorities such as job creation, inflation and housing affordability, while insisting the administration's policies are still taking effect.

He said Trump was "working tirelessly" on those goals and had already made "historic progress" both domestically and on the world stage.

According to Ingle, that progress is only beginning, with the administration maintaining that its agenda will continue to shape economic conditions in the months ahead.

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