Voters have plunged from optimistic about Trump's 'next few years' to pessimistic in just a few weeks

Another day, another startling poll about how Americans view President Trump. Today's major revelation: Voters' optimism in Trump's remaining tenure has dramatically dropped in three months' time.
In a new Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday, 45 percent of voters said they were optimistic about Trump's "next few years" as president while 52 percent said they were pessimistic. Compare that with how voters felt in March: When asked the same question then, 52 percent said they were optimistic and 46 percent said they were pessimistic.
Trump's overall job approval rating, however, hasn't fluctuated dramatically. In the survey released Wednesday, he was approved of by 37 percent of voters and disapproved of by 55 percent. In the March survey, he was approved of by 36 percent of voters and disapproved of by 58 percent.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The poll additionally found that a majority of voters (54 percent to 43 percent) believe Trump "is abusing the powers of his office." "President Donald Trump remains mired in dreadful mid-30s approval numbers and the red flags that are popping up tell an even darker story," said the assistant director of the Quinnipiac poll, Tim Malloy. "Retirement age voters are leaving in big numbers. But by far the most alarming determination is that President Trump is abusing his office."
A total of 1,404 respondents were reached by Quinnipiac between May 17 and 23; the survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 points. See the full results here.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
'It's not hard to imagine how such an arrangement can go wrong'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Pope Francis hospitalized with 'complex' illness
Speed Read The Vatican says their leader has a respiratory infection, raising new concerns about his health
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Elon Musk’s DOGE website has gotten off to a bad start
In the Spotlight The site was reportedly able to be edited by anyone when it first came online
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Musk's DOGE seeks access to IRS, Social Security files
Speed Read If cleared, the Department of Government Efficiency would have access to tax returns, bank records and other highly personal information about most Americans
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Senate confirms RFK Jr. as health secretary
Speed Read The noted vaccine skeptic is now in charge of America's massive public health system
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump lays out plans for broad 'reciprocal' tariffs
Speed Read Tariffs imposed on countries that are deemed to be treating the US unfairly could ignite a global trade war and worsen American inflation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Top US prosecutors resign rather than drop Adams case
speed read The interim US attorney for the Southern District and five senior Justice Department officials quit following an order to drop the charges against Mayor Eric Adams
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Senate confirms Gabbard as intelligence chief
Speed Read The controversial former Democratic lawmaker, now Trump loyalist, was sworn in as director of national intelligence
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, Putin plan Ukraine peace talks without Kyiv
Speed Read President Donald Trump spoke by phone to Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was not included
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Elon Musk defends DOGE effort from Oval Office
Speed Read President Trump signed an executive order giving DOGE even more power to shape the federal workforce
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judge says White House defying order to spend funds
Speed Read U.S. District Judge John McConnell has ordered the Trump administration to restore federal funding it tried to freeze
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published