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By Anna Commander
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President Donald Trump has broken his own record for the lowest approval rating recorded by The Economist/YouGov, with just 33 percent of Americans now saying they approve of the way he is handling his job as president.
The latest poll conducted from August 7–10 among 1,589 U.S. adults finds that 62 percent disapprove of Trump's job performance. That gives Trump a net approval rating of -29, the lowest recorded in The Economist/YouGov polling of either of his terms. Just weeks ago, the same pollster reported a previous low of 34 percent approval, meaning Trump's numbers have now slipped another point. The poll's margin of error is 3.2 percent.
The numbers are also striking when the intensity of opinion is observed. Only 17 percent of Americans in the latest poll say they strongly approve of Trump's job performance, while 50 percent strongly disapprove. That 33-point gap between strong disapproval and strong approval illustrates how much more intense the negative sentiment is than the positive sentiment.
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The poll also finds that Americans are broadly pessimistic about the country's direction, with 65 percent saying the country is on the wrong track and only 24 percent saying it is generally headed in the right direction.
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email on Tuesday for comment.
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What To Know
The significance of the latest result is ultimately less about one number than about the trajectory. Trump has reached a new low with a major pollster that has tracked his presidency throughout both terms, while his support among Hispanic Americans has also fallen substantially in a matter of weeks.
At this point in Trump's first term, his net approval was -10 percent, according to YouGov's Allen Houston in an email sent to Newsweek on Tuesday, while former President Joe Biden's net approval at a comparable point in his presidency was -17 percent. Trump's current -29 percent net approval therefore represents a considerably weaker position.
Grant Reeher, professor of political science at Syracuse University, told Newsweek in part on Tuesday via email that the poll is "definitely of concern, as we head into the mid-terms."
D. Stephen Voss, political science professor at the University of Kentucky, also told Newsweek via email on Tuesday night: "President Trump's job approval ratings are rock bottom. The one consolation that comes with such low numbers is that modern presidents are better able to weather public disapproval than they were in the 20th Century because many voters dislike both sides."
"Still, an unpopular president's political party usually suffers in midterm elections, undercutting the president's power for the second half of his term. Trump needs to get lucky if he wants to avoid being a lame duck for two years," Voss concluded.
The question now is whether 33 percent represents a temporary low or another marker in a continuing decline for the president.
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Trump Hits New Lows Among Key Blocs
Trump’s approval is also reaching new lows across several key voting blocs. His net approval is now deeply negative among women, white Americans, and college graduates, while his support among independents has deteriorated particularly sharply. Just 18 percent of independents now approve of his job performance, compared with 71 percent who disapprove. The new numbers show "a net job approval of -53. That's down from 32% approval and 60% disapproval (-28 net) among Independents at the start of the year," Houston said in part to Newsweek.
Among women, Trump has a new net approval low, Houston said. In the new survey, his approval with the group is 29 percent, and his disapproval rating is 66 percent. Trump has a new net approval low among white Americans too, with a 39 percent approval in the new poll compared to 57 percent disapproval. Lastly, the president has a new net approval low among college graduates with a 27 percent approval rating, compared to a 69 percent disapproval rating.
Trump Slides with Hispanics
According to the latest YouGov/Economist survey, Trump's approval among Hispanics has fallen from 37 percent in a survey taken from July 17-20 to 31 percent in a survey from July 25-27 to 29 percent in a survey from July 31 to August 3, and now 27 percent in the new poll.
That represents a 10-percent decline in just three weeks. The newest poll shows Hispanic approval of Trump at 27 percent, compared with a 66 percent disapproval rating. This matters because Trump's political coalition has depended in part on making gains with Hispanic voters, particularly compared with Republicans' performance with the group in previous elections. A sustained decline in approval among Hispanic Americans would therefore represent a potentially important shift.
Reeher also told Newsweek, "The results for Hispanics are strange. I’d imagine that they are reacting more negatively to the war in Iran. I don’t see how the immigration policy changes earlier this month were dramatic enough, in comparison with the past, to move the dial that much. On the other hand, they deal with birthright citizenship, so maybe that is moving their opinion."
How Trump's Approval Compares to Other Presidents
Trump’s historically weak approval numbers also stand out when compared with other recent presidents heading into the midterm period.
His current standing is considerably worse than the ratings recorded for Biden, Barack Obama and George W. Bush at comparable points in their presidencies, according to data from Quinnipiac University and the Pew Research Center. This seemingly puts Trump in unusually difficult territory for a president approaching a midterm election.
With Trump now sitting at a record-low level of support in the latest poll and Democrats holding an advantage in the congressional preference numbers, Republicans could be entering the 2026 midterms with a substantial political headwind.
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What's Trump Doing Next?
Trump arrived in Geneva, Ohio, on Tuesday to attend the Patriot Games Finale, a high-profile public appearance that could provide an opportunity for additional policy announcements or political messaging ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The administration has also maintained a steady pace of executive orders throughout 2026, with recent actions addressing birth tourism, customs enforcement, military families, critical mineral supply chains and vaccine policy. Additional executive orders appear likely given the administration's recent pattern of executive action. Federal Register data show Trump has signed 48 executive orders so far in 2026.
Politically, Trump is expected to remain engaged in Republican primary and midterm contests. The president participated in a tele-rally on August 10 supporting South Carolina Republican Senator Darline Graham and is likely to continue campaigning for GOP candidates as election season intensifies.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gray R. Thomas
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