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By Anna Commander
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President Donald Trump's net approval rating with independents has plunged to an all-time low, including both terms in the Oval Office, a new poll from The Economist and YouGov shows on Tuesday.
According to the survey, Trump remains underwater nationally and set a new high for strong disapproval at 49 percent, even as his overall approval mark has held in the high 30s to 40 percent range across recent public surveys.
Why It Matters
Independent voters often decide competitive races, and a -40 net approval among this group marks Trump’s weakest standing with independents across both his terms, a potential headwind for the White House as the 2026 midterm cycle accelerates.
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Recent national polls from multiple outlets show Trump near or below 40 percent approval and facing majority disapproval on key issues and overall performance.
What To Know
According to the poll, Trump's overall approval rating is 39 percent, with a 57 percent disapproval mark. With independents, his approval rating is a bleak 27 percent, accompanying a disapproval score of 67 percent.
"That's a record-low net job approval for Trump among Independents, in either his first or second terms," YouGov's Allen Houston said in an email to Newsweek in part on Tuesday, adding, "The net job approval of -40 among Independents is a steep drop from last week, when Trump's net job approval with the group was -31."
The poll surveyed 1,684 U.S. adults from January 23 to January 26 and has a margin of error of 3.3 percent.
Trump's approval rating among independents last week with the pollster was 29 percent and his disapproval mark was 61 percent.
Houston also said in part, "It's too early to say how much this drop reflects a long-term decline in approval among Independents and how much is weekly survey variation."
Other recent polls tracked Trump’s national standing in a similar range. The New York Times/Siena survey conducted from January 12 to January 17 measured his job approval at 40 percent, while a CNN/SSRS poll released January 16 placed approval at 39 percent and found 29 percent support among independents.
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What People Are Saying
Trump, on Truth Social last week: "Something has to be done about Fake Polls! They are truly OUT OF CONTROL. We have the Greatest Economy in the History of our Country, we have the Strongest Border in History, nobody has ever done a job like I have done, and they have me in the low 40s. The Democrats destroyed Healthcare, I’m trying to fix it, and they give me FAKE low numbers. Fake Polls on the Economy, on the Border, on just about everything, are ridiculous and dangerous. The REAL Polls have been GREAT, but they refuse to print them.
"This is no different than a writer who is corrupt, of which there are many. The New York Times, and so many others, print Polls that are knowingly false. They have become deranged, and sick. They suffer from a major case of TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME (TDS). Their 2024 Election coverage was so bad, and so wrong, and yet they never get called out for it — But I am calling them out with the lawsuit that I have filed which is making its way through the Courts. They have to pay a price for FAKE AND FRAUDULENT NEWS and, hopefully, in the not too distant future, they will!"
Grant Davis Reeher, professor of political science at Syracuse University, told Newsweek via email on Tuesday when asked if Trump should focus on his record-low net approval with independents ahead of the midterms: "Yes, especially noting that midterms are generally referendums on the president’s party, and also noting what happened to Republicans in 2018. Simply offering the contrast might be enough for Democrats to score big gains, and at the least retake the House of Representatives.
"The president has demonstrated on several issues that he is willing to back off when public reaction is clear and negative, but what’s already been done on immigration will be very hard to unwind by November, and the visuals are pretty awful. Democrats have a host of images, quotes, and facts to populate negative ads, and individual Republicans have a limited time to credibly distance themselves, if they choose to risk that strategy.
"The president will need some big wins before then to control the damage, and it’s not clear where those are likely to come from."
What Happens Next
Weekly polls tracking Trump's approval rating are expected to continue as the midterm elections approach.
Update 1/27/26, 10:27 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Grant Davis Reeher.
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