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By Andrew Stanton
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President Donald Trump’s approval rating fell to a record low in the latest poll from the University of Massachusetts Amherst on Monday.
In a statement to Newsweek on Monday, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said that "the ultimate poll was November 5th 2024 when nearly 80 million Americans overwhelmingly elected President Trump to deliver on his popular and commonsense agenda."
He added: "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. 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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Why It Matters
Trump’s approval rating has key implications for Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections set to be held in November. A low Trump approval rating would be a challenge for Republicans in key House and Senate races across the country—but if his approval improves over the coming months, it would be a boon for conservative candidates.
Donald Trump's Approval Rating in Latest Poll: What We Know
Just 33 percent of respondents said they approved of Trump’s job performance in the latest poll, while 62 percent disapproved.
That is down from July 2025 when 38 percent gave him a positive approval rating and 56 percent gave a negative rating. In April 2025, Trump’s approval rating in the UMass poll stood at 44 percent, while 51 percent disapproved of him at the time.
The poll surveyed 1,000 respondents from March 20-25 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
The UMass poll is the latest in a string of unwanted approval rating polls for the White House amid the Iran war and ongoing economic concerns surrounding rising gas prices and inflation.
Jesse Rhodes, professor of political science at UMass Amherst and co-director of the poll, described the numbers as "brutal" for Trump in the polling release, warning that Trump's approval on the economy is "a major cause of his declining poll numbers."
"Fully 62% of Americans somewhat or strongly disapprove of Trump’s job performance. The reason? Americans grade Trump harshly on the most prominent issues facing the country, especially on bread-and-butter economic issues," he wrote. "Seventy-one percent say Trump is not handling inflation well and 61% say he’s not handling the issue of jobs well. Tariffs were supposed to be one of Trump’s signature issues, but they are a public relations disaster with almost two out of three Americans (64%) giving him a negative grade.”
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How Does the Rating Compare to Other Polls?
Other polls have similarly found that Trump’s approval rating is struggling amid these economic concerns, including among key groups like independent voters.
The latest YouGov poll showed that 38 percent of Americans approve of Trump, compared to 56 percent who disapprove. That poll surveyed 1,665 adults from March 20-23.
A recent survey from Fox News showed 41 percent of Americans approve of Trump, while 59 percent disapprove. That poll surveyed 1,001 registered voters from March 20-23 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Meanwhile, a Quinnipiac University poll showed that 38 percent of Americans approve and 56 percent disapprove of Trump’s job performance. It surveyed 1,191 registered voters from March 19-23 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.
What People Are Saying
Tatishe Nteta, provost professor of political science at UMass Amherst and director of the poll, wrote in the report: “In the midst of skyrocketing prices, significant declines in the stock market, an unpopular war in the Middle East, a government shutdown that has led to lines at airports and nationwide protests against his presidency, it is no shock that President Donald Trump’s approval ratings have taken a hit in our latest polling."
He added: "What is surprising, and of likely grave concern to the White House, are the dips in support from the very groups that helped Trump take back the presidency in 2024. Among men, working class Americans and African Americans, Trump’s approval ratings have dropped by close to 20 points since April 2025. Similar drops in support are also seen among moderates (down 18 points) and independents (down 13 points), key constituencies in Trump’s victory and in the upcoming midterm election.”
Curt Mills, the executive editor of The American Conservative, recently told Megyn Kelly on her podcast, The Megyn Kelly Show: "It's a stake in the heart of what Trump is supposed to be about...I think it reveals how radical the war contingent actually is. It's basically older Americans, older conservatives, who, again, supported a lot of these mistaken wars in the 2000s and in the past."
Update 3/30/26, 11:40 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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