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By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
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A trio of new national polls released over the past week paint a worrying picture for President Donald Trump.
Responding to recent polling, White House spokesman Kush Desai told Newsweek: “The Trump administration remains laser-focused on continuing to cool inflation, accelerate economic growth, secure our border, and mass deport criminal illegal aliens.”
Why It Matters
These polls underscore sustained headwinds on Trump’s overall job approval as voters weigh immigration enforcement issues and economic perceptions ahead of the 2026 midterms.
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What To Know
Each survey captures something slightly different: a softening in overall approval, a shift among independents, and signs that even pollsters that are traditionally favorable to the president are beginning to record new lows.
Taken together, they form a negative trend for a White House preparing for a bruising midterm environment.
1. Quinnipiac: A New Low Approval Rating
Quinnipiac’s new national poll of registered voters found 37 percent approve and 56 percent disapprove of Trump’s job performance, compared with 40 percent who approve and 54 percent who disapprove in both mid-January and October, widening the net negative from 14 points in October and January to 19 points now.
The February 2026 reading marks Trump’s lowest net score in the Quinnipiac series this term.
That poll interviewed 1,191 self-identified registered voters nationwide from January 29 to February 2, 2026, using random digit dialing with live interviewers on landlines and cell phones, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points, including design effect.
Issue ratings in Quinnipiac’s February poll included 39 percent approval and 56 percent disapproval on the economy, 38–59 on immigration, and 37–58 on foreign policy, all weaker than comparable readings in January and December.
Support among independents has dropped from 33 percent in January to 31 percent.
Women are moving as well, with 64 percent now disapproving of Trump’s performance—up 3 points since mid-January.
The same poll also showed a decline in support from Republican voters when compared to earlier surveys from the same polling firm.
Republican net approval for Trump fell from a +90‑point advantage in October to +76 points in early February, marking a notable drop in intraparty support.
2. Conservative Pollster: Trump Hits a Second-Term Low
A conservative‑leaning pollster that typically charts stronger numbers for Trump has now recorded his weakest second‑term rating to date.
Rasmussen’s daily tracking poll registered a second-term low for Trump this week at 41 percent approval and 57 percent disapproval on Thursday, giving a net approval rating of -16 points, after 43 percent approval on Wednesday and 44 percent on Tuesday.
Rasmussen’s daily tracking combines 300 nightly phone interviews with an online panel to capture voters who no longer use landlines, producing a five‑day rolling sample of 1,500 likely voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 points.
While its numbers generally run more favorable for Republican presidents, this latest wave shows a notable dip in Trump’s standing, including a decline in the share of voters who say they “strongly approve.”
3. Approval Rating Falls Across Every Major Issue
In a third national survey released this week, Trump’s approval rating by issue fell across the board.
Trump’s overall approval rating edged down to 45 percent in January from 47 percent in December, with support slipping across key areas such as the economy, immigration and foreign affairs, according to the latest Harvard CAPS/Harris survey.
The poll, conducted online January 28–29 among 2,000 registered voters with a margin of error of 2 points, is part of an ongoing collaboration between the Harvard Center for American Political Studies, The Harris Poll and HarrisX.
The steepest drop came on immigration, where approval fell to 46 percent from 49 percent in December, continuing a steady decline from the mid‑50s seen early in 2025.
Economic approval dipped to 43 percent after peaking at 49 percent in February 2025, while foreign‑affairs ratings slid from 45 to 42 percent over the same period.
Even typically steadier measures showed wear. Approval for administering the government slipped to 43 percent from 45 percent, and support for Trump’s handling of inflation dropped to 39 percent, matching his lowest reading in a year.
His rating on tariffs and trade also fell to 39 percent. But the one area showing improvement was a newly tested question on Trump’s response to the anti‑ICE protests in Minneapolis, where 51 percent of voters expressed approval.
What People Are Saying
Trump posted on Truth Social this week: "The highest Poll Numbers I have ever received. Obviously, people like a strong and powerful Country, with the best economy, EVER!"
White House spokesman Kush Desai told Newsweek: “Nearly 80 million Americans gave President Trump a resounding Election Day mandate to end Joe Biden’s economic disaster and immigration crisis. The Trump administration remains laser-focused on continuing to cool inflation, accelerate economic growth, secure our border, and mass deport criminal illegal aliens.”
Mark Penn, co-director of the Harvard CAPS/Harris poll and Stagwell chairman and CEO, said: "President Trump’s ratings are slowing declining with Americans seeing the economy sagging and inflation raging, even though economic statistics show the opposite.
"On immigration, the public supports removing criminal aliens but believe that ICE has gone too far and is randomly picking up migrants, a policy they do not support. Given these two trends, Republicans are now facing a tough midterm election."
Republican pollster Daron Shaw said: "The president faces two difficult obstacles—the virtually unanimous and intractable opposition of Democrats and the stubbornness of high prices."
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