Trump's approval rating slides back to its lowest number since taking office

President Trump's approval rating has dipped back down to match its lowest level ever, a new CNN poll has found. Just 35 percent of Americans now approve of Trump, a 5-point plunge since January that follows reports about White House security clearances and during the president's recent gun legislation proposals, which tend to be out of step with what many voters want to see. Many polls, including CNN's, saw Trump with a higher rating in January primarily due to the economy.

In late February, though, Trump's rating looks more like his dismal December numbers, which were his lowest since taking office. Trump is also approved of by 80 percent of Republicans, which represents a new low for him.

President Barack Obama also had an approval rating below 50 percent at this point in his presidency, at 49 percent. Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter shared the previous record for the modern lowest approval rating at this point in their presidencies, 47 percent, which is 12 points higher than Trump's current approval rating.

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USA Today and Suffolk University's Political Research Center likewise found Trump back down at his lowest job approval rating since becoming president. CNN's poll, conducted by SSRS, reached 1,016 adults on cell phones or landlines between Feb. 20 and Feb. 23. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.7 percent, and you can read more of the results here.