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By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
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President Donald Trump’s favorability and job approval ratings fell to new lows in New York, according to a Siena University poll released May 5, with declines driven not by Democrats or independents but by weakening support among Republicans, the pollster has said.
A new Siena University poll of New York State registered voters shows Trump at 33 percent favorable to 64 percent unfavorable, down from 35–62 percent in March.
Even modest erosion within a party base can carry consequences beyond a single state, particularly as Republicans look to defend and expand their position in the 2026 midterms.
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“The drop in Trump’s favorability and job approval ratings is not because of Democrats; they overwhelmingly continue to view Trump unfavorably and strongly disapprove of the job he’s doing,” said Siena pollster Steven Greenberg.
“It’s not the independents, with whom his negative numbers improved slightly. No, it’s Republicans."
His overall job approval rating in the poll stands at 34 percent approve to 64 percent disapprove, compared with 37–61 percent previously. The poll of 806 registered voters in New York was conducted April 27-30 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.
Trump’s GOP Support in New York Down Double Digits
This is a New York state poll, but it highlights a dynamic that is closely watched: movement within a candidate’s own party often matters more than entrenched opposition.
New York is generally considered a solidly blue state, with places like New York City driving large margins for Democrats, though Republicans remain competitive in more rural and suburban areas.
Trump’s political resilience has historically depended on overwhelming loyalty from Republican voters.
Softening Republican support, while opposition elsewhere remains entrenched, alters the coalition underpinning Trump’s approval ratings and signals potential strain within his base.
Siena pollster Steven Greenberg said the latest results mark a notable point within Trump’s second term, while still remaining within a broader pattern of deeply polarized opinion in New York.
“This is the lowest favorability rating—net -31 points—during Trump’s current term in office,” he said.
“It also represents the highwater mark for voters who strongly disapprove of the job he’s doing, 55 percent, and the low-water mark for those who strongly approve of the job he’s doing, 19 percent.”
Democrats remain overwhelmingly opposed, with 85 percent viewing Trump unfavorably compared with just 14 percent favorable, reflecting a largely unchanged and highly polarized baseline.
Independents, often decisive in statewide contests, show only limited movement.
Their overall views remain negative, but the data indicates a slight improvement compared with March, suggesting they are not responsible for the latest decline.
Instead, the most significant change is inside Trump’s own coalition.
"His favorability rating among Republicans is down to 65-27 percent, from 78-18 percent, and his job approval rating is down to 71-27 percent, from 84-15 percent,” said Greenberg.
Visually, as seen in the interactive chart below, the breakdown is stark: roughly two-thirds of voters fall into the unfavorable category, compared with about one-third who view him positively, with only a small share undecided.
Partisan and Gender Gaps Shape Trump’s Approval
Trump’s approval ratings in New York remain deeply divided along partisan lines, with backing from Republicans offset by overwhelming opposition from Democrats.
Seven in 10 Republicans approve of the job he is doing (71 percent), compared with just 12 percent of Democrats, while disapproval among Democrats reaches 87 percent.
Independents sit closer to the middle but still lean negative, with 38 percent approving and 56 percent disapproving. A gender gap is also evident: men are more likely to approve (43 percent) than disapprove (56 percent), while women register significantly stronger opposition, with just 26 percent approving and 71 percent disapproving.
Taken together, the data underscores a familiar dynamic in New York politics—deep polarization anchored in party identity, with demographic divides reinforcing those patterns.
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Response From Trump And The White House
Trump has pushed back on negative interpretations of his polling, arguing that his political strength is not fully reflected in surveys conducted when he is not on the ballot.
“It is a problem I'm not on the ballot. Everyone says if I was on a ballot, we'd win in a landslide. I have some of the best poll numbers I've ever had,” he told Newsmax in a recent phone interview.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle has similarly often pointed to Trump’s 2024 election victory as the definitive measure of public support.
“The ultimate poll was November 5, 2024, when nearly 80 million Americans overwhelmingly elected President Trump to deliver on his popular and commonsense agenda,” he said.
He added that the administration sees its record—not polling—as the more meaningful indicator of public backing.
“No other president in history has accomplished more for the American people than President Trump, who is working tirelessly to create jobs, cool inflation, increase housing affordability, and more,” he said. “The president has already made historic progress not only in America but around the world, and this is just the beginning as his agenda continues taking effect.”
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