By Martha McHardy
President Donald Trump’s approval rating appears to be shifting course in a new string of national polls.Why It MattersTrump’s poll numbers took a sharp dive in early April following his announcement of the “Liberation Day” tariffs. Although his approval ratings bounced back somewhat soon after, recent actions by his administration seem to have reignited public frustration, with polls in recent weeks showing his approval hitting all-time lows.Key controversies include his deployment of the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles to quell anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protests, as well as ordering airstrikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran, military actions that most voters reportedly oppose. Iran responded by launching missile strikes against a U.S. military base in Qatar, further escalating tensions.But despite this turbulent period, recent surveys suggest Trump’s popularity is beginning to recover.What To KnowSome polls suggest that Trump’s approval rating has ticked up slightly after a stretch of steady decline, highlighting just how divided—and volatile—voter sentiment remains as his second term unfolds.Newsweek’s tracker currently puts Trump’s approval at 45 percent, with 50 percent disapproving, giving him a net approval of -5 points. That marks an improvement from the end of last week, when his net approval rating sank to an all-time low of -10 points.The latest Navigator Research survey, conducted from June 26 to 30, shows a similar trend: 45 percent of voters approve of Trump’s job performance, while 53 percent disapprove. That’s up slightly from early June, when only 43 percent approved and 55 percent disapproved, the worst showing of his second term.Other major polls echo this fragile rebound.A YouGov/Economist poll conducted between June 27 and 30 found Trump’s approval at 42 percent and disapproval at 53 percent, up modestly from 40 percent approval and 54 percent disapproval earlier in the month, also a record low for him.Likewise, Morning Consult’s June 27–29 tracking poll shows that 47 percent of voters now approve of Trump’s performance, with 50 percent disapproving—a slight uptick from 45 percent approval and 53 percent disapproval in May, when his ratings were sliding.Meanwhile, a Marist/NPR/PBS survey conducted from June 23 to 25 found that Trump’s approval rating was 43 percent, with 52 percent disapproving. That’s an improvement from April, when approval dropped to 42 percent and disapproval rose to 53 percent, marking his lowest net approval rating to date.These small gains come after weeks of polls that captured Trump’s approval ratings hitting new lows. The latest John Zogby Strategies poll, conducted from June 24 to 25 among 1,006 likely voters, showed a net approval of -8 points (45 percent approve, 53 percent disapprove), down sharply from -1 point in May.A Bullfinch Group poll, fielded from June 17 to 20 among 1,223 adults, painted an even starker picture: Trump’s net approval fell to -13 points, with just 41 percent approving and 54 percent disapproving, a significant drop from -5 points in May.Other surveys showed a similar pattern. An Ipsos/Reuters poll conducted from June 21 to 23 among 1,139 registered voters found Trump’s net approval rating at -16 points (41 percent approve, 57 percent disapprove), down from -12 points the week before.The American Research Group’s June 17–20 poll, conducted among 1,100 adults, recorded Trump’s net approval plunging to -21 points, with only 38 percent approving and 59 percent disapproving, down from -14 points in its previous May survey.But polls now appear to be trending back up, with Trump seeing modest gains on issues like immigration, the economy, and foreign policyAccording to the latest Marist poll, 44 percent of Americans approve of how Trump is handling immigration, with 52 percent disapproving—a slight uptick from early June, when approval was 43 percent and disapproval remained at 52 percent.A YouGov/Economist poll shows a similar trend, with approval at 47 percent and disapproval at 50 percent, up modestly from 45 percent approve and 49 percent disapprove earlier this month.Despite these small gains, public skepticism is clear: Marist also found that a majority, 54 percent, believe ICE has gone too far in enforcing immigration laws, while only 18 percent say the agency hasn’t gone far enough. Meanwhile, 43 percent think America’s deportation policies make the country safer, but nearly six in ten feel they either make it less safe (33 percent) or have no real impact (24 percent).On foreign policy, Trump’s numbers have barely budged. Marist’s latest data show that 41 percent approve of how he’s handling foreign affairs, with 52 percent disapproving, about the same as early June, when approval was 39 percent and disapproval was 53 percent.Voters appear slightly more positive about Trump’s handling of the economy, though the numbers still show a nation split. The Marist poll shows 39 percent approve and 53 percent disapprove — unchanged from early June. Navigator Research, however, shows a small bump, with 43 percent now approving of Trump’s economic performance and 53 percent disapproving, up from 41 percent approval and 57 percent disapproval earlier in the month.YouGov/Economist polling shows a similar gain, with Trump’s economic approval now at 43 percent approve and 51 percent disapprove, compared to 39 percent approval previously.But when asked specifically about inflation and rising prices, Americans remain deeply negative. The latest YouGov/Economist poll finds just 35 percent approve of how Trump is handling inflation, with 59 percent disapproving, only a slight change from 34 percent approval and 60 percent disapproval before.What Happens NextTrump’s approval ratings are likely to fluctuate in the coming weeks.