Donald Trump's Approval Rating Hits New Low Across Five Polls

President Donald Trump's approval ratings have fallen to new lows across a cluster of major national surveys released in mid-to-late May 2026, with multiple pollsters recording their weakest figures of his presidency within days of each other.

Among the most striking findings, a new Economist/YouGov poll put Trump's approval at 34 percent-the lowest in that series-while separate surveys from American Research Group, Quinnipiac, Emerson College, and The New York Times/Siena College each showed similarly depressed numbers.

Presidential approval is a leading indicator of political strength ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Republican candidates and strategists face a more challenging national environment as voter sentiment softens beyond the GOP base. Approval ratings have historically shaped midterm outcomes, particularly when declines are broad-based across independent voters and economic perceptions.

Key Points

• Five major national polls show Trump at record or term‑low approval levels within the same May window
• The newest poll comes from Emerson College polling, which found just 39 percent approve of the president's job performance
• Approval is clustering in the mid‑to‑high 30s across most surveys, with one American Research Group poll dipping to 31 percent, the lowest number recorded in either of Trump's terms
• Disapproval margins are widening, pushing net approval deeper into negative territory
• The consistency across independent pollsters points to a broader shift, not a single outlier

1. Emerson College Poll

A new Emerson College poll found Trump's approval at 39 percent, with 55 percent disapproving, representing the lowest level in the firm's monthly polling series.

The survey was conducted May 24 to May 25 among 1,000 likely voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Emerson typically uses a mix of online and automated phone sampling to reach respondents.

The result reflects a modest decline from April, when Trump's approval stood at 40 percent.

2. Economist/YouGov Poll

A weekly Economist/YouGov survey found Trump's approval at 34 percent with 59 percent disapproving, the lowest level recorded in that tracking series across both of his presidential terms.

It produced a net approval rating (those who approve minus those who disapprove) of –25, marking the weakest reading in the dataset. The poll was conducted May 22 to May 26 among 1,520 U.S. adults, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.

Respondents were drawn from YouGov's opt-in panel and weighted to be representative of the national adult population based on demographic and political benchmarks.

3. American Research Group Poll

A national survey from American Research Group found Trump's approval at 31 percent, with 64 percent disapproving, his lowest recorded approval across either of his terms.

The poll was based on 1,100 completed interviews with U.S. adults conducted May 16 to May 20, using a random sample design. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.

The topline figure reflects a sharp deterioration in net approval, which stood at –33 in this poll.

4. Quinnipiac University Poll

Quinnipiac University's national poll put Trump's approval at 34 percent with 58 percent disapproving, the lowest level recorded in the pollster's tracking of his presidency.

The survey was conducted May 14 to May 18 among 1,106 registered voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.

The result marked a decline from earlier readings and represented a new low point in Quinnipiac's dataset.

5. New York Times/Siena College Poll

Polling conducted by The New York Times and Siena College found Trump's approval at 37 percent, with 59 percent disapproving, which pollsters described as a new low point for the current term.

The survey was conducted from May 11 to May 15 among 1,507 registered voters via live telephone interviews in English and Spanish. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.

That poll also recorded the highest level of disapproval in the series.

What the White House Says

The White House has largely dismissed the downturn in polling, framing the figures as a snapshot rather than a measure of political strength. Officials have instead pointed to Trump's 2024 election victory as the clearest indicator of public support, arguing it reflects a durable mandate that outweighs short-term fluctuations in survey data.

In a statement shared with Newsweek, spokesperson Davis Ingle said the administration remains focused on its policy agenda, particularly on economic issues such as inflation, jobs, and housing affordability, which he argued are still working their way through the economy.

"The ultimate poll was November 5, 2024," Ingle said, adding that voters elected Trump to deliver on a "popular and commonsense agenda."

He added that the president is "working tirelessly" on economic priorities and suggested that the impact of those policies will become clearer over time.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 12:25 PM.