The AP-NORC poll of 1,146 adults was conducted December 4-8 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
US President Donald Trump’s approval on the economy and immigration have dropped sharply since March, according to a new AP-NORC poll, a troubling sign for two of the core issues that propelled him to victory less than a year ago, as Republicans begin preparing for the 2026 midterm elections.
Trump’s handling of the economy is at its lowest point
The survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that only 31% of US adults now approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, down from 40% in March, marking the lowest economic approval he has received during either of his terms.
The Republican president has also faced sustained public criticism over his management of the federal government and has not seen a rebound in support even after Democrats agreed to end a record-setting government shutdown last month.
Perhaps most worryingly for Trump, who’s become increasingly synonymous with his party, he’s slipped on issues that were major strengths. Just a few months ago, 53% of Americans approved of Trump’s handling of crime, but that’s fallen to 43% in the new poll. There’s been a similar decline on immigration, from 49% approval in March to 38% now.
The new poll starkly illustrates how Trump has struggled to hold onto political wins since his return to office. Even border security — an issue on which his approval remains relatively high — has declined slightly in recent months.
Still, Trump’s overall approval has not fallen as steeply. The poll shows 36% of Americans approve of his performance as president, down from 42% in March. That signals that even if some people aren’t happy with elements of his approach, they might not be ready to say he’s doing a bad job as president. And while discontent is increasing among Republicans on certain issues, they are largely still behind him.
Declining approval on the economy, even among Republicans
Republicans are more unhappy with Trump’s performance on the economy than they were in the first few months of his term. About 7 in 10 Republicans, 69%, approve of how Trump is handling the economy in the December poll, a decline from 78% in March.
Trump’s base is still largely behind him, which was not always the case for his predecessor, President Joe Biden, a Democrat. In the summer of 2022, only about half of Democrats approved of how Biden was handling the economy. Shortly before he withdrew from the 2024 presidential race two years later, that had risen to about two-thirds of Democrats.
More broadly, though, there’s no sign that Americans think the economy has improved since Trump took over. About two-thirds of US adults, 68%, continue to say the country’s economy is poor. That’s unchanged from the last time the question was asked in October, and it’s broadly in line with views throughout Biden’s last year in office.
Why Trump gets higher approval on border security than immigration
Trump’s approval on immigration has fallen since March, but border security remains one of his stronger issues. According to the latest poll, 50% of US adults approve of his handling of border security, only slightly below the 55% approval recorded in September.
His relative strength on this issue is bolstered in part by support from Democrats and independents. Among independents, 36% approve of Trump’s approach to border security, compared with just 26% who approve of his broader immigration policies.
Other polls have shown it’s more popular to increase border security than to deport immigrants, even those who are living in the country illegally. Nearly half of Americans said increasing security at the U.S.-Mexico border should be “a high priority” for the government in AP-NORC polling from September. Only about 3 in 10 said the same about deporting immigrants in the US illegally.
The AP-NORC poll of 1,146 adults was conducted December 4-8 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
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