Key Takeaways:
- President Donald Trump’s approval rating remains underwater among adults, with 42% approving and 58% disapproving of his job performance.
- Trump has lost ground among his "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) base, with a drop in strong support from 78% to 70% since April.
- The economy remains the most important issue to Americans, with persistent inflation and financial concerns affecting Trump’s supporters and non-supporters alike.
- Americans are making changes to their everyday spending decisions, such as cutting back on groceries, extras, and entertainment, to stay within their budget.
- The Democratic Party is trusted more than the Republican Party to handle the rising price of everyday things, with 53% of Americans preferring the Democrats.
Introduction to Trump’s Approval Rating
President Donald Trump’s approval rating remains steadily underwater among adults as he nears the end of his first year back in the White House. According to a new NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey, Trump’s approval rating has inched down in 2025 amid concerns about the economy, while Americans remain worried about inflation and costs. The poll shows that respondents’ concerns are apparent in everyday spending decisions, such as grocery shopping and holiday spending. Trump’s handling of high-profile controversies, including the Jeffrey Epstein files, has also scored negatively with Americans.
Shifts in Support for Trump
The poll underlines how the intense support that Trump rode to a second presidential term has weakened, and how the intensity of the opposition to him has grown. American adults largely disapprove of Trump’s job performance, with his approval rating at 42% and disapproval at 58%. The share of people who strongly approve of Trump has dropped over the course of the year, from 26% in April to 21%. Slightly more people now say they strongly disapprove of Trump, compared to April. These shifts in support are notable, especially among Trump’s MAGA base, where strong approval has dropped from 78% to 70% since April.
MAGA Support for Trump
Two groups show the largest drop in strong support for the president since April: those who identify as Republican, and those who identify with Trump’s MAGA movement. Among Republicans who consider themselves more supporters of the Republican Party than the MAGA movement, the share of those who "strongly approve" of Trump now stands at 35%, compared to 38% in April. Trump’s strong approval is higher among those who consider themselves MAGA Republicans, but that represents a drop of 8 points since April. Although small, these shifts are notable because Trump has enjoyed tremendous sway over his party in no small part because of his ability to command a core base of support.
Economic Concerns
The economy remains the most important issue to Americans right now, and persistent inflation remains a sore spot, even among the president’s supporters. Those who identify as Republican, including MAGA Republicans, are shifting perspectives slightly when it comes to the economy. Compared to the last NBC News Decision Desk poll, in August, both groups were a few percentage points more likely to say their personal finances are worse today compared to one year ago. Overall, 64% of Americans think the country is on the wrong track, up from 60% in the beginning of the year. This finding holds across most groups, but the groups shifting their views in a negative direction may also be among the most consequential in next year’s midterm elections.
Economic Priorities by Income
While the majority of Americans express concerns about the overall state of the economy, the top and bottom of the income distribution are not experiencing the same levels of worry. Overall, 41% said that their personal financial situation is about the same as it was a year ago. Another 35% said it’s worse today, and 24% said it’s better. However, 45% of those making less than $50,000 said their finances are worse today, compared to only a quarter of those who make over $100,000. Americans with incomes under $50,000 cited the cost of housing and food as the biggest economic problems facing them and their families.
Impact of Economic Conditions
As a result of recent economic conditions, a majority of Americans reported needing to change what groceries they buy in order to stay within their budget, and a majority also said they had personally cut back spending on extras and entertainment to afford necessities. Those with incomes under $50,000 were more likely to say they’ve cut back on groceries, extras, and entertainment, and even holiday spending, compared to those with incomes over $100,000. Over half of all Americans said they trust the Democratic Party over the Republican Party when it comes to handling the rising price of everyday things. The majority opinion on that question is consistent across traditionally Democratic groups whose turnout will be critical to the party’s prospects in the 2026 elections.