White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Newsweek that Trump "has firmly cemented his legacy as the Peace President - having ended eight wars and counting and saving millions of lives."
She added: "He is delivering on his promises, and the American people remain firmly aligned with the President's agenda to Make America Great Again, regardless of the Mainstream Media's so-called polling."
This trend highlights significant challenges for the Trump administration as public confidence wavers over issues such as the economy, health care, and immigration.
According to a Marist Poll of 1,408 adults conducted January 12-13, 2026, Trump's net approval rating, the percentage of those who approve (38 percent) minus those who disapprove (56 percent), stands at minus 18, the lowest point of his second term thus far. Some 6 percent of those surveyed in this poll said they were not sure. The margin for error was within ±3.3 percentage points.
The lowest point for his first term, according to this polling series, was just before he left office in January 2021, when it stood at -20 net approval.
Echoing these findings, an Economist/YouGov poll of 1,602 U.S. adults covering January 9-12, 2026, recorded 54 percent of respondents disapproving of Trump's job performance, with only 40 percent approving, and 6 percent undecided, resulting in a net approval rating of -14 points.
The decline was observed across key demographic groups, including working-class Americans, among whom Trump's net approval stood at 36 percent approve, 54 percent disapprove, giving a -18 point approval rating.
The Economist/YouGov poll's margin of error was plus or minus 3.3 percentage points. Both polls used samples broadly reflective of the national demographic and political profile.
Similarly, an AP-NORC poll of 1,203 adults conducted January 8-11, 2026, found that just 40 percent of U.S. adults approve of Trump's handling of his job, with 59 percent disapproving, netting -19 points.
The sample was drawn from NORC's probability‑based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to reflect the U.S. population. The poll's overall margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Newsweek: "President Trump took office with a resounding mandate from the nearly 80 million Americans who voted for him to secure our border, end Joe Biden's inflation crisis, remove criminal illegal aliens from our streets, and restore American Greatness both at home and abroad.
"He has firmly cemented his legacy as the Peace President - having ended eight wars and counting and saving millions of lives. He is delivering on his promises, and the American people remain firmly aligned with the President's agenda to Make America Great Again, regardless of the Mainstream Media's so-called polling."
Bruce Stokes, Associate Fellow, U.S. and North America Programme at Chatham House, wrote: "As U.S. President Donald Trump enters the second year of his second term, polls suggest his domestic popularity is in decline. Various surveys of U.S. public opinion have found that the public disapproves of his handling of key domestic challenges and some of his flagship policies lack support."
CNN's Political Director David Chalian said: "It's worth noting that just compared to less than a year ago, he was at his best political ratings of his career, and that has just gone away, and it is largely due to the economy and the country thinks that he is focused on the wrong priorities."
The decline in Trump's approval ratings signals heightened vulnerability for his administration and the Republican Party's legislative priorities.
With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, persistent public dissatisfaction -- particularly among working-class voters and independents -- could challenge the GOP's efforts to maintain majorities in Congress.
"For now, all signs are that President Trump's support is waning. Time will tell if that remains the case," Chatham House's Stokes wrote at the start of this year.