Trump slams ‘stupid people’ at Pennsylvania rally
President Donald Trump held his first domestic rally in several months as the start of his 2026 mid-term election campaign.
- President Donald Trump’s approval rating turned negative in Republican-leaning states like Ohio and Iowa.
- Trump’s Miami mayoral bid was defeated by a Democrat, making him the first mayoral candidate in nearly 30 years.
- According to an average of national polls, President Trump’s approval rating has improved slightly from recent lows, but is still a net negative.
With other attention focused on Florida during the Miami mayoral race, President Donald Trump traveled to Pennsylvania on December 9 to talk about his record on affordability.
After overwhelming Democratic victories in several elections this year, Republicans are facing the prospect of a blue wave in the 2026 midterm elections. President Trump, who has also faced complaints that his economic stimulus hasn’t been enough, defended his record Tuesday night in the Poconos, the first of a series of rallies planned ahead of the midterm elections.
But in Miami, the mayoral candidate he supported lost to a Democrat who won the mayor’s race for the first time in nearly 30 years. So how do voters feel about Trump’s job performance? Here’s what you need to know about his approval ratings in key states.
President Trump’s approval rating turns negative in two Republican-leaning states
Trump has a net approval rating in 22 states, according to Morning Consult, which compiles polls over three months to examine state-level data on registered voters. The December 5th update has two fewer surface conditions compared to the previous month’s update.
Ohio and Iowa, considered Republican strongholds in the 2024 election, were two states where Trump lost ground with voters, according to Morning Consult. The pollster also found that Trump’s disapproval ratings rose to their highest levels during his second term in 2024 battleground states Arizona (51%), Georgia (50%), Michigan and North Carolina (52% each), and Wisconsin (54%). His approval ratings are negative in all battleground states.
In Pennsylvania, 47% approve of Trump’s job performance, while 50% disapprove. In Florida, 50% of people approved of Trump’s job performance, while 46% disapproved.
What is President Trump’s average approval rating?
President Trump’s approval rating is a net negative, according to an average based on RealClearPolitics and the New York Times aggregator, but an improvement from last month’s steep decline.
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 intensifies following the end of the government shutdown. The following week, his disapproval rating rose to 55.6% on November 21, the highest level this term. As of December 9, according to Real Clear Politics, the approval rate was 43.9% and the disapproval rate was 52.8%.
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 New York Times, as of Dec. 10, 43% of voters approve and 54% disapprove.
How does President Donald Trump’s approval rating compare to previous presidents?
In a Gallup poll conducted November 3-25, 36% of respondents 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
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
