Overview

• The Gallup poll released Oct. 9, based on Sept. 2–16 telephone interviews with 1,000 adults (±4 points), reports sharp year-over-year declines for FEMA, CIA, CDC, FDA, EPA and the IRS.
• Many surveyed agencies are now at or near their lowest approval levels in Gallup’s records dating to 2003.
• Homeland Security posted the largest gain, with 42% rating its performance excellent or good, up from 32% in 2024; CBP this week publicized a 55-year low in Border Patrol apprehensions.
• FEMA suffered the steepest drop, falling 20 points to 26%, after the GAO determined in September that the administration unlawfully withheld three types of FEMA grants.
• Partisan gaps widened: Republicans give positive marks to the Defense Department (74%) and Homeland Security (73%), while among Democrats only the Postal Service (66%) and NASA (52%) retain majority approval.