President Trump received lagging approval ratings across the board in the latest poll from The New York Times/Siena College, another indicator of the president facing declining public trust almost 100 days into his second term.
The results released Friday show Trump with an approval rating of 42 percent, while 54 percent said they disapprove of his job performance, putting him 12 points underwater in net approval.
Trump’s approval rating in the poll sits at just 29 percent with independents, who indicated they’re showing stiff resistance to many of his policies, siding more with Democrats in opposition than Republicans who still overwhelmingly back his administration.
Meanwhile, fewer than a third of independents said Trump understands the problems of people like them, and more than 60 percent view Trump as exceeding the powers granted to him.
Trump’s approval rating is considerably lower than the rating for other recent presidents nearly 100 days into their administrations. The comparison isn’t quite as stark if comparing to 100 days into those presidents’ second terms, rather than their first terms, but it is still lower than the rating seen for former Presidents Obama, George W. Bush and Clinton. Trump’s rating now is comparable to the same point in his first term.
Trump has a net negative approval rating on a wide range of issues pollsters asked respondents about, including immigration and the economy—the two issues that had consistently been seen as his strengths since the start of his first term.
A slight majority, 51 percent, disapprove of his handling of immigration—still the issue he is viewed most favorably on—while 47 percent approve. He’s underwater on managing the federal government by 8 points, trade by 11 points and the economy by 12 points.
Trump’s worst issues surveyed were on his handling of the war between Russia and Ukraine, with 35 percent approving of his performance, and the case concerning Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an immigrant who was mistakenly sent to a prison in El Salvador, with 31 percent approving of his handling of the case.
Democrats have sought to go after the Trump administration in particular on Abrego Garcia’s case, with several members of Congress traveling to El Salvador to push for his release, while administration officials have remained defiant and defended his removal.
The results are in line with what other pollsters have recently found on Trump’s approval rating.
The average for Trump’s approval and favorability ratings in a tracker from Decision Desk HQ/The Hill has shown the numbers gradually ticking down since he took office in January, while his disapproval and unfavorability ratings tick up.
The average as of Friday shows Trump with an approval rating of 45.1 percent and disapproval rating of 51.8 percent.
Trump has struggled with lower approval ratings on the economy for weeks, while the Times notes views of his handling of immigration are relatively similar to what they were a year ago. But while a majority support Trump’s calls for mass deportation, a majority oppose his handling of the issue overall.
The poll also showed resistance to Trump’s wide-ranging use of tariffs, with 55 percent opposed, including 63 percent of independents. Almost 70 percent say the country has mostly benefitted from trade and foreign alliances, while 24 percent said it has mostly been harmed.
Pollsters found 54 percent, including 63 percent of independents, said Trump’s changes to the political and economic systems have gone too far, and half said the upheaval has been a “bad thing.” Just over a third said it has been good.
The poll also showed reason for hope for Democrats, with them leading the generic congressional ballot by 3 points, 47 percent to 44 percent. That question has generally been seen as an indicator of how the parties will perform in the next congressional elections.
The poll was conducted April 21-24 among 913 registered voters. The margin of error was 3.8 points.