New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds one-third (34%) of Americans approve of Trump’s performance as president, compared with three-in-five (58%) who disapprove. Approval has declined modestly but steadily from 37 per cent in December and January, while disapproval has remained the majority view throughout 2026.
Approval Over Time
Approval Breakdown
Partisan Divide
Age & Gender
Accomplishments
Failures
Methodology
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Approval drops to 34 percent
Trump’s approval hits a new low as the Iran war drags on
Despite many statements from the White House to the contrary, the United States appears to have become mired in a conflict with Iran that has had widespread negative economic ramifications. One has been readily visible as Americans commute and take summer vacations: gas prices ticking up on service station signs across the country, hitting the highest level ever recorded for the month of August.
President Trump appears to be an unpopular president leading an unpopular war. Disapproval of his performance has been the majority opinion throughout 2026, and 34 per cent is the lowest approval recorded in Angus Reid USA tracking during his second term in the Oval Office.
Topline approval
Three-in-five Americans disapprove of Trump’s performance
Three-in-five Americans (59%) say they disapprove of Trump’s performance; the one-third (33%) who instead approve are in the minority. Strong disapproval (46%) alone outweighs total approval, underscoring the intensity of opposition to the president’s record so far.
Republicans still on board
Trump retains near-universal approval from MAGA Republicans
Trump retains the approval of nearly all (88%) of his most fervent supporters: Republicans who self-identify as part of the MAGA movement. There is more disapproval among non-MAGA Republicans, but they are outnumbered by the majority (59%) who offer a thumbs-up to the Republican president.
Three-in-five (61%) who don’t identify as Republican or Democrat disapprove of Trump. And strong disapproval is the majority opinion among Democrats, regardless of whether they place themselves in the progressive or moderate side of that movement.
Age and gender divides
Older Americans offer more approval than younger ones
A majority of all demographics say they disapprove of Trump’s performance as president. Respondents older than 54 offer more approval than younger ones, a pattern most pronounced among men: 45 per cent of men 55 and older approve, compared with a third or fewer among younger men and women of any age.
Accomplishments and failures, so far
Nearly half can’t name a single Trump accomplishment
Although Democrats and Independents are highly negative on Trump’s performance in the White House, there is plenty of praise from Republicans. To explore what is driving approval for Trump in their own words, Angus Reid USA asked an open-ended question: “Thinking about his time in office since his January 2025 inauguration, what, if anything, do you feel has been his greatest accomplishment?” Three-quarters (78%) of Republicans, half (50%) of Independents and three-in-ten (28%) of Democrats named a positive accomplishment for Trump.
Trump’s performance on immigration and border security is the top response (17%) among those who named an accomplishment, while strong leadership and placing America first (7%) and the economy (6%) round out the top three. No accomplishment (47%) was the single highest response overall.
| Theme | % of respondents |
|---|
| No accomplishment / nothing at all | 47% |
| Immigration & border security | 17% |
| Sarcastic / negative framing of ‘accomplishment’ | 9% |
| America first / strong leadership | 7% |
| Economy, jobs & prices | 6% |
| Foreign policy, Iran & military | 5% |
| Govt efficiency, fraud & spending cuts | 5% |
| Taxes, tips & trade | 3% |
| Social & cultural issues | 2% |
| Crime & public safety | 2% |
| Big Beautiful Bill / tax-and-spending law | 1% |
The inverse question
Americans have far less trouble naming a failure
Angus Reid USA also asked the inverse: “And what, if anything, do you feel has been his greatest failure?” For this response, each group — Republicans included — are more likely to be able to produce an example than they were when thinking about Trump’s accomplishments.
More than one-third (36%) say “his entire presidency” has been a failure, rather than naming a specific policy or decision. Among those who pick a specific issue, the Iran war is chosen most (18%), followed by cost of living and inflation (11%). Notably, while approaching half (47%) could not name an accomplishment when prompted, fewer than one-in-ten could not name a failure.
| Theme | % of respondents |
|---|
| Everything / his entire presidency | 36% |
| Iran war & foreign conflict | 18% |
| Cost of living, inflation & prices | 11% |
| Economy & jobs | 7% |
| Immigration & ICE enforcement | 6% |
| No failures / nothing | 5% |
| Corruption, lying & self-enrichment | 5% |
| Character, temperament & communication | 5% |
| Division & national unity | 4% |
| Tariffs & trade | 3% |
| Foreign relations & allies | 3% |
| Democracy, rule of law & Constitution | 3% |
| Health care, social programs & federal cuts | 3% |
| His election / existence (sarcastic) | 3% |
| Epstein & classified files | 1% |
| Debt, deficit & government spending | 1% |
| White House renovation & optics | 1% |
About this survey
Methodology and downloads
Angus Reid USA conducted an online survey from August 6-11, 2026 among a representative randomized sample of 1,525 American adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum USA. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding. The survey was self-commissioned and paid for by Angus Reid USA.
