President Trump’s Initial Job Approval Rating Remains Low
President Donald Trump’s initial job approval rating for his second term stands at 47%, similar to his inaugural 45% reading during his first term. This makes him the only elected president with sub-50% initial approval ratings. Trump’s latest disapproval rating of 48% is three percentage points higher than in 2017, marking a new high for inaugural ratings.
Trump’s current job approval rating is not significantly different from the 51% readings earned by George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan in the early days of their presidencies. However, initial evaluations of Trump differ in that Americans are much more likely to disapprove of his performance rather than have no opinion, as was the case for the elder Bush and Reagan.
Trump’s approval rating remains sharply polarized, with 91% of Republicans approving, compared with just 6% of Democrats and 46% of independents. This 85-point gap between Republicans and Democrats is similar to the average 81-point gap throughout his first term.
Americans are divided in their views of Trump’s speed in addressing major U.S. problems, with 40% saying it is “about right,” 37% saying it is “too fast,” and 14% saying it is “not fast enough.” The majority of Republicans think his pace is about right, while 61% of Democrats think he is moving too fast.
Trump has signed more executive actions this year than he did in the first 100 days of his first term, but Americans are more inclined now to say he is moving too fast. Republicans are now seven points more likely than they were in 2017 to say Trump’s actions are about right, while Democrats are now less likely to say Trump is moving too fast and more likely to think he is not moving fast enough.
Trump’s initial approval rating is lower than initial readings for all other modern presidents, aside from his first rating in 2017. His fellow Republicans overwhelmingly approve of the job he is doing so far and think his speed in addressing major problems in the U.S. has been about right. His support from Republicans and independents is slightly higher than what it was in 2017, while Democrats’ support is even lower.
