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By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
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President Donald Trump’s approval rating has hit a "perilous point", according to CNN’s political director David Chalian, citing a new poll conducted for the broadcaster.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Newsweek in an emailed statement that Trump "is delivering on his promises, and the American people remain firmly aligned with the President’s agenda to Make America Great Again, regardless of the Mainstream Media’s so-called polling."
Why It Matters
Trump's approval ratings have taken a significant hit since his return to the White House almost exactly one year ago, marking a substantial shift from the early days of his second term.
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Data indicate widespread dissatisfaction not only among Democrats but also among independents—a crucial electoral bloc—raising questions about the stability of Trump’s political support and the implications for the Republican Party as it heads into midterm elections.
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What To Know
According to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS from January 9-12, 2026, Trump's overall job approval rating stands at 39 percent, with almost every pillar of his presidency scoring negatively with voters overall.
The survey, which involved a random national sample of 1,209 adults interviewed online and by phone, had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
Its results show that public approval for Trump has stagnated in the high 30s to low 40s throughout his second term.
Commenting on its findings, CNN’s Chalian told the U.S. cable news channel’s News Central daytime program: "He's underwater on every issue. This is also a difference from the first term.
"One of his strong suits in the first term was the economy [and] he pulled better on handling the economy than his overall job approval."
In the poll, the economy was cited as the country’s top concern by a nearly two-to-one margin over all other issues, yet only about 3 in 10 Americans viewed economic conditions positively; a trend that has remained largely unchanged for two years.
The majority—58 percent—described Trump's first year back in the White House as a failure, and just 36 percent said he was focused on the right issues.
Chalian went on to pinpoint how Trump’s ratings among independent voters have emerged as a key concern, with roughly only 3 in 10 of this crucial voter group approving of his performance.
He said: “I think this is the number that is going to send shivers down the spines of Republicans on Capitol Hill who are on the ballot this year.
“He is at 29 percent approval among independents. That is politically perilous for his party.”
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Within his base, support for Trump remained robust, with nearly 9 in 10 Republicans backing him, and approximately half strongly approving.
However, broader public support outside his base has eroded: only 30 percent of Latinos and adults under 35 and 26 percent of people of color approve, while his ratings among white Americans are more evenly split at 47 percent approve and 52 percent disapprove.
The poll also found 55 percent of Americans believe Trump's policies are worsening economic conditions, and 58 percent say he has gone too far in using presidential power.
Chalian said: “This is just a president and a presidency right now that is not aligned with the country's priorities, and that is going to give real concern to his party in this midterm year.”
These numbers are reinforced by data from other surveys, including a Marist Poll of 1,408 adults conducted January 12–13, 2026, with a plus or minus 3.3 percentage points margin of error, showing Trump’s net approval rating at –18, with 38 percent approving, 56 percent disapproving and six percent unsure.
This marks the lowest point of his second term, though still slightly above the –20 net approval recorded at the end of his first term in January 2021 with the same polling firm.
A separate Economist/YouGov survey of 1,602 U.S. adults conducted January 9–12, 2026, found 54 percent disapproved of Trump’s job performance, 40 percent approved, and six percent remained undecided, producing a net approval rating of –14.
The decline spanned several key groups, including working‑class Americans, where Trump posted a 36 percent approval rating against 54 percent disapproval, yielding a net score of –18.
The Economist/YouGov poll carried a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points, and both surveys relied on nationally representative samples.
A separate AP‑NORC poll of 1,203 adults conducted January 8–11, 2026, found only 40 percent approved of Trump’s job performance while 59 percent disapproved, producing a net rating of –19. That survey used NORC’s probability‑based AmeriSpeak Panel, designed to mirror the U.S. population, and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
What People Are Saying
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Newsweek: “President Trump took office with a resounding mandate from the nearly 80 million Americans who voted for him to secure our border, end Joe Biden’s inflation crisis, remove criminal illegal aliens from our streets, and restore American Greatness both at home and abroad.
“He has firmly cemented his legacy as the Peace President, having ended eight wars and counting and saving millions of lives. He is delivering on his promises, and the American people remain firmly aligned with the President’s agenda to Make America Great Again, regardless of the Mainstream Media’s so-called polling.”
Speaking to CNN News anchor John Berman, Chalian said: “It is really hard to find even a sliver of good news for President Trump in this poll. And it's worth noting that just compared to less than a year ago, he was at his best political ratings of his career. And that has just gone away. And it is largely due to the economy. And the country thinks that he is focused on the wrong priorities.”
He added: “At the beginning of this term, John, it was immigration that was the strong suit. He pulled better on that issue than he pulled overall. That is not the case now. He is underwater on every single issue tested, and there is no real strong suit. It all kind of looks at that low 40 upper 30 range where you showed his overall approval rating.”
Bruce Stokes, Associate Fellow, US and North America Programme at Chatham House, wrote: “As US President Donald Trump enters the second year of his second term, polls suggest his domestic popularity is in decline.
“Various surveys of U.S. public opinion have found that the public disapproves of his handling of key domestic challenges and some of his flagship policies lack support.”
What Happens Next
Trump’s declining approval ratings, particularly among independents and younger voters, present challenges for both his administration and the Republican Party in a key election year.
With economic anxiety dominating public concern and the 2026 midterms on the horizon, the Republican Party will have to reckon with Trump’s standing among key constituencies and the risk that discontent may dampen turnout or swing crucial races.
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