Trump's Approval Rating Crashes to Second-Term Low as Americans Reject His Leadership

Donald Trump is facing a devastating blow to his political standing as a new NBC News poll reveals his approval rating has plummeted to its lowest point of his second presidential term. The comprehensive survey paints a damning picture of American sentiment toward the 47th president's performance.

The Numbers Tell a Harsh Story

The poll, conducted between March 30 and April 13, shows Trump's approval rating has crashed to just 37 percent—a staggering 10-point drop since last June. Even more concerning for the former president, a decisive 63 percent of adults now disapprove of his performance, with half of all Americans expressing strong disapproval.

This marks Trump's worst approval rating since returning to office, putting him in precarious territory as midterm elections loom on the horizon. No president wants to face congressional elections with such underwater numbers, and Trump's situation appears to be deteriorating rapidly.

Economic Woes and Foreign Policy Failures Drive Disapproval

Americans are particularly harsh in their assessment of Trump's handling of key issues. The ongoing war in Iran has become a major liability, with only 33 percent approving of the president's management of the conflict. The disapproval numbers are even more striking—54 percent strongly disapprove of his Iran policy.

Perhaps even more damaging is Trump's performance on economic issues. With inflation and cost of living concerns weighing heavily on American families, only 32 percent approve of his handling of these kitchen-table issues—an eight-point drop since April 2025. This represents a critical vulnerability for any president seeking to maintain public support.

Republican Support Shows Cracks

While Trump maintains majority support within his own party, even that foundation is beginning to erode. Republican approval has dropped 4 points to 83 percent, but more significantly, the share of Republicans who strongly approve has fallen 6 points to just 52 percent.

This softening of enthusiasm within his base could signal deeper trouble ahead. Strong approval from core supporters is crucial for any president's political survival, and Trump's declining intensity of support suggests his grip on the Republican Party may be loosening.

Trump's Predictable Response: Attack the Messengers

True to form, Trump has responded to unfavorable polling by attacking the pollsters themselves. In previous instances when faced with poor numbers, he has taken to Truth Social to denounce "fake" polls and call for investigations into what he terms "ELECTION FRAUD."

"These people should be investigated for ELECTION FRAUD," Trump raged in one such post, targeting pollsters and even Fox News. "They are Negative Criminals who apologize to their subscribers and readers after I WIN ELECTIONS BIG."

More recently, he attacked Fox News contributor Jessica Tarlov for discussing his approval ratings, claiming "She makes up 'Poll Numbers,' and nobody challenges her, because she is so boring."

Historical Context: How Low Can He Go?

While devastating, these numbers aren't Trump's lowest ever. During his first term, his approval rating hit a rock-bottom 29 percent following the January 6th Capitol riots in 2021. That put him in company with some of history's most unpopular presidents.

Only a handful of presidents in the modern polling era have seen approval ratings worse than Trump's current nadir: George W. Bush (19 percent), Harry Truman (22 percent), Richard Nixon (23 percent), and Jimmy Carter (28 percent). For comparison, Barack Obama's lowest point was 37 percent, while Joe Biden bottomed out at 31 percent.

A Crisis of Credibility

Perhaps most telling is that 52 percent of adults believe Trump "tells the truth less often" than other people—a devastating indictment of his credibility that could hamper his effectiveness for the remainder of his term.

Looking Ahead

With midterm elections approaching and multiple crises testing his leadership, Trump faces a critical juncture. The poll's massive sample size of 32,433 adults and narrow 1.8 percent margin of error make these findings particularly credible and concerning for the administration.

Unless Trump can dramatically reverse course on key issues—particularly the economy and foreign policy—these numbers suggest his second term could be defined by the same political turmoil that characterized much of his first presidency. For a president who has always been obsessed with his approval ratings, these latest numbers represent a political nightmare that won't be easily dismissed or tweeted away.