As President Donald Trump approaches the 100-day milestone of his second term in office, a recent poll conducted by SSRS for CNN reveals that public approval of his performance has significantly deteriorated. Despite beginning this term with some of the strongest polling figures of his political career, Trump now holds the lowest 100-day approval rating of any newly elected president since the Eisenhower administration — even lower than during the equivalent point in his first presidency.
Currently, only 41% of Americans approve of Trump’s job performance, a 4-point drop since March and 7 points lower than in February. Just 22% of respondents say they strongly approve, while 45% express strong disapproval — a new high. Approval has especially decreased among women and Hispanic Americans, each group showing a 7-point decline. Support among political independents has also fallen, matching Trump’s previous low of 31% from his first term.
The data reflects broad discontent with the administration’s approach to nearly every major policy issue. Approval ratings for Trump’s handling of the economy have dipped to 39%, the lowest of his political career. Public confidence in his economic leadership has dropped 13 points since December. His recent tariff initiatives, which contributed to market instability and inflation concerns, have led to further erosion of support.
Discontent is also evident in areas such as federal governance. Approval of Trump’s management of the federal workforce is down 6 points, while public trust in his capacity to appoint qualified officials has fallen 8 points. A majority of Americans now believe that his leadership style unnecessarily endangers the country, rather than being a needed corrective to political dysfunction.
Concerns about the president’s foreign policy are also widespread. His more conciliatory stance toward Russia and the reduction of foreign aid programs have contributed to a 60% disapproval rate in this domain. Similarly, approval of his immigration policy has declined by 6 points, with confidence in his ability to manage it dropping from 60% in December to 53% in the current poll.
The only area in which Trump receives slightly positive ratings is his handling of issues related to gender identity. Overall, 51% approve of his position on this topic, including significant support from Republicans. However, this support is not mirrored across other cultural or historical initiatives. For instance, 64% of Americans oppose Trump’s interventions in national cultural institutions, such as changes made to the Kennedy Center and Smithsonian museums, actions reportedly carried out with the involvement of Vice President JD Vance.
Both Trump and Vance have relatively low favorability ratings, with only 40% of respondents expressing a favorable view of the president and 34% of Vance. Trust in Trump’s ability to exercise presidential power responsibly and provide genuine leadership has also dropped — down 8 and 9 points respectively since December.
One poll participant, a federal employee and independent voter from Virginia, described her growing disillusionment: “I didn’t vote for him, but I gave him a chance. I thought he might help the economy, but it’s been disappointment after disappointment.” Others, including long-time Trump supporters, expressed frustration with his frequent use of executive orders, some of which have faced legal obstacles. One such supporter, a semi-retired attorney from New Mexico, remarked that Trump’s impulsive approach resembles “Yosemite Sam… blasting off with two guns,” with mixed success.
While the country is almost evenly divided over whether Trump is keeping his campaign promises (48% say yes, 51% no), a slim majority — 55% — believe he has taken some effective action to address national problems. Still, only 28% believe these actions have resulted in meaningful improvements so far.
More than half of those surveyed believe Trump’s presidency will bring lasting change to the nation. However, roughly one-third think these changes will be reversed after his tenure, and 12% believe his impact will be insignificant.
Source: CNN Politics
