President Trump says ground attack on Venezuela will ‘begin soon’
President Donald Trump said in an address to troops that the United States would launch a ground attack on Venezuela “immediately.”
President Donald Trump’s approval ratings continue to decline, hitting their lowest point in his second term in the latest Gallup poll.
A Gallup poll conducted Nov. 3-25 found that 36% of people approve of President Trump’s job performance, down from 41% in October. That’s close to Trump’s all-time low approval rating of 34% in 2021, near the end of his first term after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, according to Gallup. Trump’s approval rating so far in his second term was low at 37% in July, according to Gallup.
President Trump’s approval rating declined not only among Democrats but also among Republicans and independents. Republican approval ratings have fallen from 91% during President Trump’s second term (84%). President Trump’s approval rating among independents was 25%, down from 33% in October. Democratic President Trump’s approval rating was 3%, down from 6% last month.
Trump approval rating declines, disapproval rating rises in Gallup poll
Trump’s approval ratings have been relatively stable for several months, but they have declined over the past month. The RealClearPolitics polling average reached a new low of 42.3% on November 14, as the 43-day government shutdown ended and the controversy surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s emails intensified. According to RealClearPolitics polling average, President Trump’s approval rating currently stands at 42.7%.
According to the New York Times polling company, President Trump’s approval rating for his second term is 41%, down from 52% in January.
President Trump’s disapproval rating also rose from 54% in October to 60%. The decline in approval ratings comes as concerns about rising prices continue, while the Trump administration continues to deploy the National Guard in U.S. cities, plans to ramp up military operations against Venezuelan drug traffickers internationally and pressures Ukraine to accept a peace deal.
The Gallup poll was completed the day before two West Virginia National Guard members were gunned down in a “targeted” ambush while on duty in Washington, D.C., and Sarah Beckstrom, an Army specialist from Summersville, West Virginia, died of her injuries on Nov. 27.
Trump administration approval rating declines on economy and Ukraine
According to Gallup, since March, President Trump’s approval rating has dropped 12 points on the federal budget and 10 points on the situation in Ukraine. According to Gallup, President Trump’s handling of immigration has declined by 9 points since February. The administration’s response to the situation in the Middle East and the economy also declined, dropping 7 and 6 points, respectively, from February.
Polling numbers suggest MAGA voters may be reconsidering their support for Trump. Republican Gray Holland said he voted for Trump in the last presidential election but is “not a big fan” of the president anymore.
He cited continued high costs as one of the main reasons, but also cited financial aid to Israel and the failure to fully release investigative files on convicted child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
“We need to put America first and focus on what we’re going to do on our own turf…That’s what President Trump’s campaign was about, and I haven’t seen much of that,” Holland, a 24-year-old sales representative from Birmingham, Alabama, told USA TODAY in an interview.
However, some Trump supporters are softening the president’s stance a bit. Justin Fernandez, a registered Democrat, said he tends to vote in a more conservative direction and supported Trump in all three presidential elections. “I don’t agree with everything he does, and I don’t like how he acts like a high school kid online, but overall he has the best ideas and is willing to try different things,” the 66-year-old writer from Ohio said in an interview.
“And, you know, every president fails or succeeds in some way,” Fernandez said.
Contributor: Kinsey Crowley
Mike Snyder is a national trends news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, and X, and email him at: mike snyder & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com
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