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By Martha McHardy
US News Reporter
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President Donald Trump's approval rating is slipping among America's middle class, according to new polling data.
Why It Matters
Trump made inroads with middle-class voters in the 2024 election, who previously broke for the Democrats by 56 percent in 2020, with just 42 percent of voters on incomes between 50-100 thousand voting for Trump.
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By 2024, that had reversed almost completely, with middle-class voters breaking for Trump by 52 percent and 46 percent choosing the Democrats.
A shift in support among middle-class voters could influence support from Republican lawmakers, affect his ability to push through his agenda, and shape the political landscape heading into the midterm election cycle.
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What To Know
According to the latest poll by The Economist and YouGov, conducted between March 22-25 among 1,600 respondents, Trump's approval rating has fallen among middle-class Americans on incomes between $50,000 and $100,000.
The poll shows that 47 percent of Americans on mid-level incomes approve of Trump's job performance, while 49 percent disapprove. That is down from the previous poll, conducted between March 16 and 18, when half of middle-class voters said they approved of Trump's performance, while 48 percent disapproved. Both polls had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Across other income groups, Trump's approval rating increased. The poll also suggests that Trump is making gains among men, younger and older Americans, and Hispanics.
Overall, the latest poll showed that 48 percent of Americans approve of Trump's performance, up from 45 percent in the previous poll conducted a week earlier. Meanwhile, disapproval has fallen from 50 percent to 46 percent.
That bucks a recent trend which has seen Trump's net approval rating decrease so that it is firmly in the negatives.
Newsweek's tracker shows that Trump's approval rating currently stands at 48 percent, while 49 percent disapprove, giving him a net approval rating of -1. That means that the president's approval rating has decreased by 1 point since Friday, but his disapproval rating has remained the same.
Meanwhile, the latest Fox News poll, conducted between March 14 and 17 among 994 registered voters, showed Trump's net approval rating at -2 points. Fifty-one percent disapprove of his job performance, and 49 percent approve. The most recent poll conducted by Navigator Research, conducted between March 13-17 among 1,000 registered voters, also put Trump's approval rating at -2. Both polls had a margin of error of ±3 percentage points.
Additionally, the latest YouGov/Economist poll, as well as the latest Morning Consult poll, gave him a net rating of -3. The YouGov/Economist poll's result was within the margin of error, while the Morning Consult poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 points.
Trump's lowest approval ratings came in polls conducted by Ipsos and Reuters, and Blueprint Polling, which gave him a net approval rating of -6 points. In both polls, 45 percent disapproved of the president's job performance, while 51 percent approved. Both polls had a margin of error of ±3 percentage points. A poll conducted by the American Research Group among 1,100 adults showed the same result.
Recent polls have suggested that dissatisfaction with Trump's handling of the economy is a key factor in his declining popularity.
Fox News's poll showed that 56 percent of respondents disapproved of Trump's handling of the economy, while 43 percent approved. And in another blow to Trump, an overwhelming 71 percent said they believe the United States economy will go into a recession this year, while just 26 percent disagreed.
The American Research Group poll showed an even bigger gap, with 40 percent saying they approve of Trump's handling of the economy, while 55 percent said they disapproved.
The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll also showed that only 38 percent of poll respondents approved of Trump's stewardship of the U.S. economy, while just 34 percent said he was doing a good job on the cost of living in America.
The latest YouGov/Economist poll also shows that Trump's approval rating on the economy is declining, dropping from 45 percent earlier this month to 43 percent now. However, disapproval is down to 47 percent from 49 percent earlier in March.
This comes as Trump proceeded with plans to impose additional tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China this month, which some experts say could increase inflation.
Goldman Sachs previously estimated that the tariffs could push inflation by 1 percent while squeezing U.S. company profits and provoking retaliatory measures from other countries. Canada, for example, has announced billions of dollars in retaliatory tariffs.
At the same time, inflation is already affecting the economy, as a Labor Department report for January saw the largest consumer price increase in nearly 18 months.
However, inflation fell more than expected to 2.8 percent in February, according to the annual consumer price index (CPI).
Trump has sought to blame inflation on his predecessor, former President Joe Biden. During a White House event on Tuesday, Trump said the U.S. and its economy "went to hell" under Biden. Last week, in his national address to Congress, Trump said, "We inherited from the last administration an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare."
However, a Morning Consult poll published on March 20 shows that the message no longer resonates with voters.
According to the poll, more voters than not now say current economic conditions are mostly the result of Trump's policies instead of Biden's. This is compared to February, when 44 percent of respondents said economic conditions resulted from Biden's policies, while 39 percent said the same about Trump.
Now, 46 percent say Trump is to blame for current economic conditions, while 41 percent say Biden is to blame.
Donald Trump's Job Approval Rating
Trump's approval rating currently stands at 48 percent, while 49 percent disapprove, giving him a net approval rating of -1 point. That is in line with his approval rating from previous days, according to Newsweek's tracker, which shows his approval rating has remained steady, around 48 percent, peaking at 49 percent on March 6.
His disapproval rate has also mostly remained at 48 percent, hitting a low of 47 percent on March 6. It now stands at 49 percent.
How Donald Trump's Approval Rating Compares to Joe Biden's
Trump's 48 percent approval rating is lower than former President Joe Biden's popularity at the same point in his presidency on March 27, 2021, when he had an approval rating of 53 percent and a disapproval rating of 43 percent, according to RealClearPolitics.
Polls released in the days after Trump's inauguration showed his popularity at an all-time high. However, he was still the least popular president in recent times.
According to Gallup's first poll of Trump's second term, conducted between January 21 and 27, his initial approval rating was 47 percent. The pollster said this figure made him less popular than any president since 1953 at the start of a term and the only one to begin with a sub-50 percent approval rating. Gallup said Biden started his first term with a 57 percent approval rating.
How Donald Trump's Approval Rating Compares to First Term
The RealClearPolitics tracker shows that on March 27, 2017, Trump's approval rating was 42 percent, while his disapproval rating was 52 percent, giving him a net approval rating of -10 points, making Trump more popular now than at the same point in his first term.
What People Are Saying
**Thomas Gift, an associate professor of political science and the director of the Centre on U.S. Politics at University College London, told Newsweek: "**Many Americans are finally recognizing that Trump doesn't have a magic wand that he can wave and bring down the price of eggs and Big Macs. Trump promised that he'd bring down prices—and fast—but the reality hasn't matched the rhetoric.
"There's also a growing disconnect between Trump voters who, in the abstract, cheer on Elon Musk's efforts to slash government but are now coming to grips with its real-world implications. That means job losses and cuts to federal programming, including in red states that helped propel Trump into office."
What Happens Next
Trump's approval rating will likely fluctuate in the coming weeks depending on the outcome of key events, including critical negotiations on the Russia-Ukraine war, the growing tariff battle with countries such as Canada, and concerns about a recession.
Update 3/27/25, 14:19 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Thomas Gift.
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