President Donald Trump is expected to tout his accomplishments in a live speech on December 17th, but what do Americans think of his first year in office?
“This has been a great year for our country, and the best is yet to come!” President Trump announced in a speech on Truth Social at 9 p.m. ET.
White House press secretary Caroline Levitt said the speech would highlight his successes since taking office at the beginning of the year.
“He will talk a lot about his accomplishments over the past 11 months, what he has done to make our country great again, and what he continues to plan to continue serving the American people over the next three years,” Levitt told reporters on Dec. 16.
What is President Trump’s approval rating? Check out the latest poll.
What is President Trump’s average approval rating?
President Trump’s approval ratings are net negative, but appear to be starting to stabilize, recovering slightly from last month’s steep decline, according to an average compiled by RealClearPolitics and the New York Times.
According to graphics from RealClearPolitics, President Trump’s approval rating was 50.5% as of January 27th, making him net positive, but by March 13th, his approval rating was 47.8%, and his disapproval rating was 48.5%, making him net negative. The approval rating hit its lowest of 45.1% on April 29, but it declined near the 100th day of the Trump administration. It hit a new low of 42.3% on Nov. 14 as the controversy over Jeffrey Epstein’s emails intensified after the end of the government shutdown. The following week, his disapproval rating rose to a season high of 55.6% on November 21st. As of Dec. 17, according to RealClearPolitics, his approval rating was 43.6% and his disapproval rating was 53.3%.
President Trump’s approval rating fell from 52% in January to 44% in April, then remained roughly flat for several months, according to a New York Times tally. Trump’s lowest approval rating of his term is 41%, which he first reached on November 12, according to the Times. The disapproval rate also rose to 56% on November 19, the highest level this term, according to the aggregation company. According to the Times, as of Dec. 17, 43% of voters approve and 54% disapprove.
How does President Donald Trump’s approval rating compare to previous presidents?
In a Gallup poll conducted Nov. 3-25, 36% approved of President Trump’s job performance.
Trump’s approval ratings in his first November as the 45th and 47th president of the United States were lower than any other modern president during the same period, according to a historical analysis by Gallup. According to Gallup, his November confirmation compares to other presidents’ first year in office.
- Joe Biden (November 2021) – 42% support
- President Trump (November 2017) – 37% approve
- Barack Obama (November 2009) – 51% approve
- George W. Bush (November 2001) – 87% approved
- Bill Clinton (November 1993) – 49% support
- George H.W. Bush (November 1989) – 70% approve
- Ronald Reagan (November 1981) – 52% approve
NBC News: Trump support declines among MAGAs
The latest NBC News Decision Desk poll shows that enthusiasm for the president has declined since April among people who identify as Republicans and members of the MAGA movement.
Overall approval ratings for the president also declined during this period. According to the latest poll released on December 14th, President Trump has an approval rating of 42% and a disapproval rating of 58%. This represents a 3-point decline in the four NBC News polls since the first poll was conducted in April.
The poll was conducted online for 18 days from Nov. 20 to Dec. 8 among 20,252 adults, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.9 percentage points in either direction.
Among the president’s supporters, support for his performance has also taken a hit. An NBC News poll found that 7 in 10 MAGA supporters still said they “strongly approve” of the president’s performance, but the outlet reported that fewer Republicans say they are not part of the MAGA movement compared to earlier this year.
Among MAGA supporters, Trump’s approval rating remains high at 70%. However, since April, it has fallen 8 points to 78%.
The overall approval rating of the Republican Party also declined. Among those surveyed who consider themselves more Republican than the MAGA movement, 35% now strongly support President Trump, up from 38% in April.
Reuters/Ipsos: Economic approval rating at lowest
In a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted Dec. 12-14, 39% of respondents approved of President Trump’s job performance. The poll was conducted among 1,016 people nationwide and had a margin of error of 3 percentage points. The polling organization says his approval rating is one point higher than the lowest point during his term.
But his lowest point has been support for his handling of the economy. According to Reuters, only 33% of respondents said they supported his handling of the issue. Approval ratings for how he handles living expenses also fell to 27% from 31% earlier this month.
Kinsey Crowley is a Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Please contact KCrowley@usatodayco.com. follow her X (Twitter), blue sky and TikTok.
