Even Trump's favorite approval poll is flashing red


President Trump's approval rating is not in great shape — even in the one poll he's known to turn to for good news.
Trump's approval rating is at 43 percent in Rasmussen's latest poll, with his disapproval rating at 55 percent. This is the worst Rasmussen showing the president has had in a full year; his approval rating was last at 43 percent in January 2018. Trump tends to hover much closer to 50 percent or more on Rasmussen, a fact he is typically quick to point out on Twitter even when other polls put him below 40 percent.
Among the likely voters surveyed, 32 percent strongly approve of Trump compared to 38 percent who strongly approved of him back in October. This number has been much lower before, though, staying below 30 percent through much of fall 2017. The percentage of likely voters who strongly disapprove of his performance has risen to 46 percent, though, the highest number it has reached on Rasmussen since July 2018.
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.
This poll is hardly an outlier, as FiveThirtyEight, which compiles findings from a wide variety of pollsters, shows that Trump's approval rating is trending downward and is 40.7 percent on average, with his disapproval rating at 54.3 percent. This is the worst shape he's been in on FiveThirtyEight's tracker in four months, and it comes amid a partial government shutdown that most Americans blame on the president.
Rasmussen conducted its survey by speaking to 1,500 likely voters over the phone from Jan. 11 through Jan 13. The margin of error is 2.5 percentage points. Read more at Rasmussen.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Delivery drivers face continuing heat danger with Trump's OSHA pick
The Explainer David Keeling is the former head of UPS and also worked at Amazon
-
Is that the buzzing sound of climate change worsening sleep apnea?
Under the radar Catching diseases, not those ever-essential Zzs
-
Crossword: July 3, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
How successful would Elon Musk's third party be?
Today's Big Question Musk has vowed to start a third party after falling out with Trump
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
How would the Trump administration denaturalize immigrant citizens?
Today's Big Question Using civil courts lowers the burden of proof
-
'Trucking is a dangerous business'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities
-
Obama, Bush and Bono eulogize USAID on final day
Speed Read The US Agency for International Development, a humanitarian organization, has been gutted by the Trump administration
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't