Trump's Approval Falls to Historic 32% Low, Latest American Research Group Findings Reveal a Steep Decline in POTUS' Score

The latest survey from American Research Group paints a stark picture: support for the president has fallen to 32%, its lowest point of his presidency, with disapproval standing at 63%. The findings reflect not only political dissatisfaction but also widespread pessimism about the direction of the national economy.

Conducted between 16 and 20 April 2026 among 1,100 adults, the poll captures a country increasingly uneasy about its economic future. With a margin of error of ±3 percentage points, the data suggests a sustained and measurable decline in both presidential approval and public confidence in economic management.

Approval Ratings Hit Historic Lows

Trump's approval has fallen from 34% in March 2026 and from 45% in March 2025, a loss of 13 percentage points across 12 months, signalling a sustained erosion rather than a temporary dip. Disapproval stands at 63%, with 5% undecided.

Partisan divides remain stark. Among Republicans, 70% approve of Trump's performance, while just 1% of Democrats express support. Independents, often decisive in national elections, show weaker backing, with only 27% approving and 68% disapproving.

Economic Performance Dragging Down Support

Economic concerns appear central to the president's declining approval. Only 31% of respondents approve of Trump's handling of the economy, while 65% disapprove. Among registered voters, 32% approve, and 65% disapprove.

The broader economic picture is similarly bleak. Just 17% of Americans rate the national economy as excellent, very good, or good, while 79% rate it as bad, very bad, or terrible. A total of 67% say the national economy is getting worse, and 60% believe the country is already in a recession.

The ARG findings align with a broader polling consensus. Pew Research Center's most recent survey, conducted in January 2026, placed Trump's approval at 37% — down from 40% in the autumn of 2025 — with more than two-thirds of Americans saying his administration's actions had been worse than expected. Gallup, which discontinued its presidential approval tracker in February 2026 after 88 years, recorded Trump's approval at 36% in its final December 2025 reading, among the lowest it had measured since polling began in the 1930s.

Household Finances Reflect Growing Strain

The pessimism extends beyond national metrics into personal finances. Only 32% of respondents rate their household financial situation positively, while 60% describe it negatively, a sharp deterioration from April 2025, when the positive/negative split stood at 51%/39%.

Some 63% say their household finances are getting worse, and 59% expect further deterioration over the next year. Among those who disapprove of Trump's job performance, 74% say their household finances are currently getting worse, and 70% expect them to be worse still in 12 months.

Expectations for the Future Turn Bleak

Forward-looking sentiment has shifted sharply. In April 2025, 51% of Americans expected the national economy to worsen over the next 12 months. That figure now stands at 67%. Among Trump approvers, 52% expect the economy to be worse in a year, with only 18% anticipating improvement.

The recession perception has followed a similar trajectory: 46% of Americans believed the economy was in recession in April 2025. That figure has risen to 60%, a 14-point increase in 12 months.

A Deeply Polarised Landscape

Despite the overall picture, the data highlights a sharply polarised electorate. Among those who approve of Trump's job performance, 28% still rate the national economy positively; among those who disapprove, that figure falls to 10%. On household finances, 48% of approvers rate their situation positively, against 25% of disapprovers.

The gap between how the two groups view both the national economy and their own financial futures underscores how sharply political alignment now shapes economic perception, even as majorities in both camps expect conditions to worsen.

The White House has not commented on the American Research Group findings. Trump's approval rating will next be tested at the midterm elections in November 2026.

What the Numbers Mean for the Presidency

The convergence of low approval ratings, negative economic sentiment, and pessimistic expectations presents a challenging landscape for the White House. While polling snapshots can fluctuate, the consistency of decline over the past year suggests a structural shift rather than a temporary downturn.

As the data from the American Research Group makes clear, the issue is not merely political — it is deeply economic. And until those concerns are addressed, the president's standing with the public is unlikely to recover.