Trump Has Worst Approval Rating in Seven Decades

(Patria) - Donald Trump has taken over the leadership of the United States for the second time with the strongest poll results of his political career.

However, as the 100th day of his presidency approaches, Americans' views on what he has accomplished so far have become decidedly negative, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS.

Trump's 41% approval rating is the lowest for any newly elected president at the 100-day mark since Dwight Eisenhower (who served as president from 1953 to 1961) – including Trump's own first term.

Approval of how Trump is handling the presidency has fallen 4 points since March and 7 points since late February.

Only 22% of respondents strongly approve of his job performance, a new low, while nearly twice that number, 45%, say they strongly disapprove.

Trump has seen a significant drop in support among women and Hispanic Americans since March (down 7 points in each group, to 36% among women and 28% among Hispanic Americans).

Views by party affiliation remain sharply polarized: 86% of Republicans approve, and 93% of Democrats disapprove of his job performance.

Among political independents, support has fallen to 31%, its lowest level from his first term and similar to where it was in January 2021.

The poll indicates the president is underwater and losing ground on nearly every key issue he has addressed, with public confidence in his ability to handle those issues also declining.

Trump's popularity on the economy has fallen sharply since early March, after his imposition of tariffs caused stock market volatility and concerns about rising prices.

Approval of how he is handling inflation has dropped 9 points to 35%, and on tariffs themselves, it's down 4 points, also to 35%. Ratings for his handling of the economy have fallen 5 points to a record low of 39%.

Only 52% express confidence in his ability to manage the economy, down 13 points from a CNN poll in December.

After taking extensive steps to restructure the federal bureaucracy, Trump has seen his approval for handling government fall to 42% (down 6 points from March), and only 46% believe he can appoint the best people to jobs, down 8 points from December.

Fewer than half (43%) think his actions are a necessary "shake-up" in Washington, while a majority (57%) think his approach to the presidency is unnecessarily putting the country at risk.

Trump's foreign policy moves – including a softer stance toward Russia in the war against Ukraine and the elimination of many foreign aid programs – also face majority disapproval (39% approve, 60% disapprove).

Half of respondents say they have a lot or at least some confidence in his ability to conduct foreign policy, down from 55% before he took office.

Even on immigration, where he was 7 points above his first-term high earlier this year, the poll shows a drop in approval and confidence.

Currently, 45% approve, down 6 points from March, and 53% believe in his ability to handle the issue, down from 60% in December.

Trump has a slightly positive rating on only one issue: handling issues of gender identity and transgender people. A total of 51% approve of his approach to the topic, including 90% of Republicans, 48% of independents, and 16% of Democrats.

Trump's attempts to shape art, culture, and American history are far less popular: 64% consider it inappropriate for him to take actions such as taking control of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and changing exhibits at the Smithsonian Institution museums, which he has partially delegated to Vice President JD Vance.

Vance has the same approval rating as Trump, 41%, while 58% of respondents disapprove. A majority of Americans do not have a positive impression of either Trump or Vance: only 40% have a positive opinion of the president, and 34% of Vance.

Overall, Americans' confidence in Trump's responsible use of presidential power (46%, down 8 points) and providing real leadership for the country (50%, down 9 points) has fallen sharply since December.

Trump has issued a series of executive orders changing government practices and policies, many of which have faced challenges in the courts.

Slightly more than half of Americans (52%), including a majority of both Democrats and Republicans, believe Trump's second term will fundamentally change the country in a lasting way.

Slightly more than a third (36%) think any significant changes will disappear after Trump leaves office, and only 12% believe a second term will not bring significant changes.

Americans remain divided on whether Trump has fulfilled important campaign promises: 48% think he is doing a good job, and 51% think he is doing a poor job – similar to the results from the same period of his first term.

A majority (55%) say he has taken at least some steps to address national problems, although only 28% believe he has already done something that has started to yield results.

The CNN poll was conducted among 1,678 adults across the US from April 17-24, using a combination of online and telephone interviews. The sample has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.