New Poll Shows Growing Doubts About Trump’s Leadership

Trump Approval Ratings Decline, New Pew Poll Finds

President Trump’s approval rating continues to fall more than a year into his second term, according to a new Pew Research Center poll.

The survey of 8,512 U.S. adults, conducted January 20–26, shows Trump’s approval — already below 50% — slipping further. Notably, the decline is coming almost entirely from Republicans.

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Trump Approval Rating Drops to 37%

Trump’s current approval rating stands at 37%, down from 40% last fall. By more than a two-to-one margin, Americans say the administration’s actions have been worse than expected (50%) rather than better (21%).

Republican Support for Trump Policies Weakens

Support for Trump’s policies is also declining. Just 27% of Americans say they support all or most of his policies, down from 35% when he returned to office last year.

According to Pew, that drop in support is driven entirely by Republicans and Republican-leaning independents.

Confidence in Trump’s Leadership and Fitness Remains Low

Only 34% of Americans say they are extremely or very confident in Trump’s leadership skills.

Concerns about fitness for office remain widespread. About half of Americans say they have little or no confidence in Trump’s mental fitness (52%) or physical fitness (50%) to serve as president.

Ethical Concerns Dominate Public Opinion

Americans express the lowest level of confidence in Trump’s ethical conduct. Just 21% say they are highly confident he acts ethically in office, while 60% say they have little or no confidence.

Even among Republicans, confidence has fallen. At the start of Trump’s second term, 55% said they believed he acted ethically. That figure has dropped to 42%.

What This Means for the 2026 Midterm Elections

These approval numbers are likely to factor into the upcoming midterm election cycle. However, with three years remaining in office, Trump still has time to reverse the trend and improve public confidence before leaving the White House.