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President Donald Trump‘s net approval rating has hit its lowest level ever, according to a new poll.
The survey, conducted by the American Research Group between July 16 and 20, revealed that a total of 30 percent of Americans approved of Trump’s handling of his job as president, while 67 percent disapproved. This gave Trump a net approval rating of -37 percent, his lowest rating yet.
In June, a poll conducted by the same pollster revealed that 30 percent of Americans approved of Trump’s performance, while 66 percent disapproved. However, the 1 percent shift is within the poll’s margin of error.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle has dismissed the poll, telling Newsweek: “The ultimate poll was November 5, 2024, when nearly 80 million Americans overwhelmingly elected him.”
Ingle said the administration’s policies are producing results and that “this is just the beginning” as Trump’s agenda continues to take effect.
Key Points
- Trump’s standing in one of the country’s longest-running national tracking surveys has deteriorated further, with his net approval rating falling to a new low
- Trump’s rating on the economy is even weaker, with 28 percent approving and 70 percent disapproving.
- Public pessimism about the economy remains widespread, with 73 percent expecting the national economy to be worse in a year.
- Two-thirds of Americans, 66 percent, say they believe the U.S. economy is already in a recession.
- Even among those who approve of Trump’s presidency, most now expect the economy to deteriorate over the next year.
- The findings suggest economic concerns continue to weigh heavily on public opinion as attention increasingly turns toward the 2026 midterm elections.
Why It Matters
Presidential approval ratings are not election results, but they are among the most closely watched indicators of political strength. Historically, presidents whose approval falls below 40 percent have often entered midterm campaigns facing significant headwinds, particularly if economic sentiment is deteriorating.
For Trump, who campaigned heavily on economic stewardship, the latest figures are especially notable because voters appear to be expressing even greater dissatisfaction with the economy than with his overall job performance.
Overall Net Approval Rating Hits New Low
The latest American Research Group survey, conducted between July 16 and July 20 among 1,100 adults nationwide, carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
While Trump’s overall approval has stabilized at 30 percent over the past two months, disapproval has continued to edge higher.
Looking at the broader trend, Trump’s standing in this survey has declined steadily from 38 percent approval in July 2025 to 30 percent today.
The deterioration becomes more striking when compared with Trump’s first term.
In July 2018, American Research Group found 37 percent approval and 57 percent disapproval, giving him a net rating of minus 20 points. Eight years later, his net standing in the same series has nearly doubled in the negative direction.
Among registered voters, the current survey found 31 percent approval and 67 percent disapproval.
Economic Ratings Remain Even Weaker
Economic stewardship has traditionally been one of Trump’s strongest political assets. The latest data suggest that advantage has eroded significantly.
Just 28 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the economy while 70 percent disapprove, according to the July 2026 poll.
Although economic approval ticked up slightly from 26 percent in June, disapproval remained unchanged at 70 percent, leaving the president deeply underwater on what many voters consider the most important issue facing the country.
The comparison with Trump’s first administration is stark. In July 2018, 42 percent approved of his handling of the economy while 52 percent disapproved. Current economic approval is 14 points lower than it was eight years ago.
Registered voters mirror the broader public. Among that group, 28 percent approve of Trump’s handling of the economy while 70 percent disapprove.
Americans See the Economy Deteriorating
The survey paints a bleak picture of public sentiment toward the nation’s economic health.
Just 7 percent of Americans say the economy is getting better, while 71 percent believe it is getting worse. Another 16 percent say conditions are staying the same.
Those figures represent little improvement from recent months. Since late 2025, around 7 in 10 Americans have consistently told American Research Group that economic conditions are deteriorating.
Views of the future are similarly pessimistic.
Asked where the economy will be a year from now, just 8 percent expect conditions to improve. Fourteen percent believe the economy will remain roughly the same, while 73 percent expect it to be worse.
Such numbers matter because voter expectations often shape political attitudes as much as current economic circumstances. When large majorities expect conditions to worsen, presidents typically find it harder to win public approval.
Independents Remain a Major Problem
From a political and electoral perspective, perhaps the most significant numbers in the survey come from independent voters.
Among Republicans, Trump still commands majority support, with 67 percent approving of his job performance and 31 percent disapproving.
Democrats are almost universally opposed, with just 1 percent approving and 98 percent disapproving.
Independents, however, offer a picture of Trump’s broader challenge. Just 25 percent approve of his job performance while 70 percent disapprove.
On the economy, the pattern is similar. Among independents, 22 percent approve of Trump’s handling of economic issues while 74 percent disapprove.
Movement among independent voters often matters more than fluctuations among committed partisans, because independents frequently determine outcomes in competitive congressional and statewide races.
Recession Fears Continue To Rise
A growing share of Americans also believe the country has already entered recession.
The latest survey found 66 percent saying the economy is in a recession, compared with just 19 percent who disagree. Fifteen percent remain undecided.
That figure has climbed steadily from 52 percent in July 2025 to 66 percent today.
Household Finances Reflect Broader Anxiety
Only 25 percent of Americans rate their household financial situation as excellent, very good or good. By contrast, 67 percent describe their finances as bad, very bad or terrible.
Just 4 percent say their household finances are improving, while 72 percent say they are getting worse.
Looking ahead one year, 8 percent expect their financial situation to improve, 19 percent expect it to remain unchanged and 65 percent believe it will be worse.
Those figures help explain why broader economic dissatisfaction remains so high.
Pessimism Has Spread Even Among Trump’s Supporters
Perhaps the most notable shift in the survey is not among critics of the president but among supporters.
Back in February 2025, when 43 percent approved of Trump’s performance, nearly half of those supporters—46 percent—expected the national economy to improve over the following year.
Now, among the 30 percent who still approve of Trump’s performance, only 14 percent believe the economy will be better a year from now.
A clear majority of Trump’s supporters, 61 percent, expect the national economy to be worse a year from now.
Confidence in personal finances has also weakened. Among those who approve of the president, only 14 percent expect their household financial situation to improve over the next year, while 41 percent expect it to deteriorate.
From a political standpoint, that may be one of the most consequential findings in the survey.
A shrinking approval coalition is one challenge for any president. A coalition that increasingly shares the broader electorate’s pessimism about economic conditions presents another.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Sam Stevenson and James Debens
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