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By Andrew Stanton
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President Donald Trump's approval rating in Texas went negative in a poll of the Lone Star State released this week.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Texas has long been viewed as one of the most conservative states, and Democrats have not won it at the presidential level since 1976. Trump won the state by nearly 14 points in 2024, but Democrats are eyeing the state's Senate race as a potential flip in the midterms following a flurry of polls suggesting the race could potentially become competitive.
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Democrats need to compete in double-digit Trump states to have a chance at flipping control of the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 advantage.
GOP-held seats in Maine, which Trump lost, and North Carolina, which Trump carried by about three points, are Democrats' best opportunities, but there are no other Republican senators in single-digit Trump states up for reelection, meaning Democrats have to flip seats in states like Iowa, Florida, Ohio or Texas to retake Senate control.
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What To Know
A majority of Texans disapprove of Trump for the first time in his second term, according to the poll from the Texas Politics Project.
Forty-four percent of respondents said they strongly disapprove of Trump, while 7 percent somewhat disapprove of him. On the other hand, only 27 percent said they strongly approve of Trump, while 17 percent somewhat approve of him.
An additional 5 percent said they neither approve nor disapprove of the president.
Trump began his second term with majority support among Texans, with 52 percent of them supporting his job performance in February. By April, however, approval had fallen to 47 percent, with 46 percent disapproving of his administration, according to the Texas Politics Project.
He remains popular among Texas Republicans, 87 percent of whom have given him positive marks so far, according to the poll.
Texans still narrowly approved of Trump's handling of border security, by a 51-41 margin. When it came to the economy, however, voters disapproved of Trump's handling of the issue 51-39 margin, the poll found.
The poll surveyed 1,331 registered voters in Texas from June 6 to June 16, 2025, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.83 percentage points.
Trump's declines in Texas mirror a broader national downturn observed during his second term. The latest Gallup poll, conducted between June 2 and 19, 2025, surveyed 1,000 adults and reported a net approval rating for Trump of -17 points (40 percent approval, 57 percent disapproval), with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
What People Are Saying
Pollsters Jim Henson and Joshua Blank of the Texas Politics Project wrote in a polling report: "Looking specifically at the president's economic job approval numbers, 51% disapproving of his job performance is the worst rating Trump has received across seven UT/TxPP polls asking the question across both of his terms. During his first term, Trump received more approval than disapproval from Texas voters for his handling of the economy in each of five surveys.
"In 2025, more have disapproved than approved in each of the two instances in which the question has been asked so far. And while here, too, the president maintains the support of Texas Republicans, the share approving of his economic job performance, 74%, with 14% disapproving, is significantly less than the 90% approval he averaged during his first term."
Nate Silver wrote in his polling analysis Thursday: "The latest Trump approval numbers are what we in the polling average business call all over the place. Trump's net approval rating in today's American Research Group poll was -21. That's the worst approval poll of his second term (tied with a June AP/NORC poll).
"He's also 16 points underwater in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, 8 points underwater in last week's Fox News poll, and 8 points underwater in today's Morning Consult poll. On the other hand, the latest Trafalgar Group, InsiderAdvantage, and RMG Research polls show Donald Trump's net approval rating at +10, +10, and +7 respectively."
What Happens Next
Currently, Texas isn't viewed by major elections forecasters as being particularly competitive in 2026. The Cook Political Report classifies both its Senate and gubernatorial races as Solid Republican. But Trump's approval will continue to be monitored as a key metric of how competitive the state could become.
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