Overview
- A late-January Harvard CAPS/Harris poll finds 51% say President Trump is doing a worse job than Joe Biden, with overall approval at 45% and declines across the economy, immigration, foreign affairs, and inflation.
- Separate national measures echo the downturn, including Economist/YouGov at 40% approve and 54% disapprove, AP-NORC near 40% approve and almost 60% disapprove, and Reuters/Ipsos at 38% approval, a second-term low.
- Economic attitudes remain split as 38% say the country is on the right track and more than a third report improving personal finances, yet 53% say the economy is worse than under Biden and 63% attribute current conditions to Trump’s policies.
- Immigration enforcement weighs on ratings, with Harvard/Harris showing approval on the issue sliding and majorities saying ICE and CBP have gone too far in U.S. cities and backing requirements like body cameras and agent identification.
- Strategists say the slump gives Democrats an opening for the 2026 midterms but note Democrats’ trust gap on economic stewardship, while Trump publicly rejects unfavorable polling and the White House touts cooling inflation and faster growth.