Listen to any amount of talking done by Donald Trump and his administration and you’ll likely come away under the impression that their success and popularity is unprecedented.
To hear the POTUS tell it, his tariff scheme has made the U.S. billions of dollars, gas prices are at an all-time low, and the plan to make America stronger, healthier, and more prosperous is well ahead of schedule.
Yet Trump is famous for his half-truths – and often outright lies – disguised as whole truths, and the higher-ranking members of his administration are bound to his future, having chosen to throw their lot in with arguably the most divisive U.S. president in living memory.
Which is to say that there are those who aren’t as happy with Trump’s leadership as he would imply. Namely, the U.S. public.
If you’ve been following the ongoings of U.S. politics since last January, when Trump was officially sworn in for his second term in office, you’ll know that he’s wasted no time at all in attempting to wield his power in order to effect great change.
Trump insists he has taken steps to avoid wars breaking out all over the globe, while his recent endeavours have a more imperialistic feel to them; capturing Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and threatening the annexation of Greenland, a territory belonging to NATO ally Denmark.
Add to that the very real unrest in several States, plus the administration’s heavy-handed approach to immigration and Trump’s alleged links to the infamous Epstein files (which still haven’t been released in their entirety) and it’s difficult indeed to imagine a scenario wherein Trump’s popularity has increased since he became president again.
Of course, Trump is Trump, and if anyone can use their bulletproof guile to retain the illusion of control in a seemingly hopeless situation, it’s him.
In any case, an AP-NORC poll undertaken this month reflects his overall approval rating, and it doesn’t actually paint the picture of rampant success and fervent jubilation that Trump insists is the way of things.
The poll in question found that around four in 10 U.S. adults approve of Trump’s performance as president so far. For reference, this is virtually unchanged from his approval ratings from March 2025, two months after he had retaken office.
According to the poll, as of January 8, 2026, 59 percent of U.S. adults disapprove of the way Trump is undertaking his affairs as president, while 40 percent do approve.
The latest AP-NORC poll results found:
Handling of the economy: 37 percent of people approve of Trump compared to 62 percent who disapprove
Handling of immigration: 38 percent of people approve compared to 61 percent who disapprove
Handling foreign policy: 37 percent of people approve compared to 61 percent who disapprove
Handling of trade negotiations: 37 percent of people approve compared to 61 percent who disapprove
What do you make of Trump’s first year in office since becoming president again? Let us know in the comments.
