How does Trump's approval ratings look like since taking office
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump is facing his lowest approval ratings in decades, says the Pew Research Center. His approval rating has fallen to a mere 40% even before marking his 100th day in office. The survey shows a majority of Americans disapprove of Trump's implementation of tariffs and the cuts to the government department led by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Policy backlash
Discontent with Trump's tariff war and executive orders
The Pew Research Center survey said 59% of Americans disapprove of Trump's tariff war, while 55% are dissatisfied with the cuts to the government department headed by Musk's DOGE. At least 51% also think Trump is relying too much on executive orders to set policy. Since assuming office for his second term, Trump has been criticized for bypassing Congress and the judiciary to rule by decree with executive orders.
Controversial moves
Trump seeks to cancel birthright citizenship
Trump has also drawn criticism for attempting to cancel birthright citizenship enshrined in the US Constitution. He has also used a wartime law to deport migrants, a controversial action because it bypasses the typical legislative process, which involves Congress. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll also showed similar results. Per the poll, only 42% of US citizens approve of Trump's management of the administration. That's a tiny decrease from 43% three weeks ago and 47% shortly after his January 20 inauguration.
Historical context
Trump's approval ratings compared to past presidents
The poll also finds that people are unhappy with Trump's handling of several other critical problems, such as immigration, inflation, taxes, and the rule of law. Surprisingly, even on immigration, a greater number of individuals disapproved (46%) than approved (45%). Among recent presidents, only Bill Clinton had an approval rating below 50% at this point in their term. Joe Biden's job approval rating was 59% in April 2021, but it dropped significantly to 44% by September of the same year.