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By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
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President Donald Trump’s approval rating has slipped among Republicans and Gen Z voters, dragging down his overall standing as support erodes across every major issue tested.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Newsweek in an emailed statement, "The ultimate poll was November 5, 2024, when nearly 80 million Americans overwhelmingly elected President Trump to deliver on his popular and commonsense agenda."
Why It Matters
Trump enters a volatile stretch of his presidency facing an active Iran conflict and an approaching midterm election cycle, both of which appear to be weighing on public confidence across core policy areas.
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What To Know
Trump’s approval rating has taken an across-the-board hit on every issue tested in a recent national poll of Americans.
The findings come from the latest Harvard CAPS/Harris survey, which found Trump’s overall approval rating now stands at 43 percent, while 53 percent disapprove, giving him a net approval rating (those who approve minus those who disapprove) of minus 10.
That marks a continued softening since the previous survey, with notable drops among Republicans and younger voters.
Approval among GOP respondents fell to 79 percent, down from 85 percent in February, while support among 18- to 24-year-olds slid to 25 percent from 38 percent.
The gender and age divide also remains pronounced. A slim majority of men (51 percent) approved of Trump’s job performance, while women disapproved (59 percent) by a wide margin.
Voters under 35 were strongly negative, while approval was more evenly split among older age groups.
Independents remained underwater, with just 32 percent approving and 59 percent disapproving, giving a net approval rating of minus 27 with this key voter group.
Economic Confidence Takes a Hit
The economy remains one of Trump’s weakest areas in the latest survey.
Approval of his handling of the economy fell to 40 percent in March, down five points from 45 percent in February.
Inflation shows an even steeper drop, with just 38 percent approving of Trump’s handling of inflation, a six-point decline from the previous month and one of the lowest ratings recorded across any issue.
Support for Trump’s efforts to reduce the cost of government also slipped, falling three points to 44 percent.
While these numbers remain higher than some other issue areas, the downward trend suggests growing voter unease over everyday costs and fiscal management.
Immigration And Domestic Governance Lose Ground
Immigration, long one of Trump’s strongest issues, also saw erosion.
Approval fell two points month over month to 46 percent.
And ratings for administering the government dipped slightly to 43 percent, down one point from February.
Trump’s standing on returning America to its values declined marginally as well, edging down by one point to 47 percent.
While not a dramatic drop, it continues a broader pattern of softening support across cultural and governance-related measures.
Foreign Policy Pressures Mount
Foreign affairs approval dropped four points to 41 percent, reflecting increased voter skepticism as international tensions dominate headlines.
Approval of Trump’s management of the Iran conflict stands at 41 percent, placing it on the lower end of his issue ratings and aligning closely with broader concerns about foreign policy leadership.
Trade policy remains relatively stable but negative, with approval of Trump’s tariffs and trade approach falling two points to 41 percent, reinforcing the overall trend of incremental declines rather than isolated setbacks.
How The Poll Was Conducted
The survey was conducted online in the United States on March 25–26, 2026, among 2,009 registered voters by The Harris Poll and HarrisX.
Respondents were recruited through opt-in web panels using a range of validated sources to broaden the sampling frame.
Results were weighted for demographics including age, gender, region, race and ethnicity, income, education, political party, and ideology, with additional propensity score weighting to adjust for respondents’ likelihood of being online.
The margin of error for the total sample is plus or minus 1.99 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.
What People Are Saying
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Newsweek in an emailed statement: "No other President in history has accomplished more for the American people than President Trump, who is working tirelessly to create jobs, cool inflation, increase housing affordability, and more. The President has already made historic progress not only in America but around the world, and this is just the beginning as his agenda continues taking effect."
A White House official previously told Newsweek: "Polling shows President Trump's decision to launch Operation Epic Fury has Americans' support—with MAGA and Republicans strongly supporting it. Despite some online commentators with large followings publicly disagreeing with the president's decision—and many legacy media outlets eagerly highlighting their comments to try and sow division—the MAGA base is not wavering one bit."
President Donald Trump said last month: "When this is over, oil prices are going to go down very, very rapidly. So is inflation. So is everything else. But frankly, much more important than short-term or even long-term oil prices: You cannot let the most violent, vicious country in the last 50 years have a nuclear weapon."
Mark Penn, co-director of the Harvard CAPS/Harris poll and Stagwell chairman and CEO, said in a statement: “Trump shows a small decline given the twin events of the Iran War and the DHS shutdown, and the Congressional race remains tight. Gas price increases are likely behind the decline, but such declines are likely temporary if the war goes as planned. Support for the war is split along partisan lines but there are no questions in voter minds about the evil intentions of Iranian regime.”
What Happens Next
Attention is likely to remain fixed on economic indicators, inflation data, and developments in the Iran conflict as lawmakers and strategists look ahead to the midterm campaign season.
How those issues evolve could determine whether Trump’s approval stabilizes or continues to slide in the months ahead.
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