President Trump faces the widest approval gap of either of his terms in office, with mounting economic anxieties driving disapproval across demographic groups that were instrumental to his 2024 electoral victory, according to the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll.
The survey reveals that just 36 percent of Americans approve of Trump's overall job performance, while 59 percent disapprove. More troubling for the administration, only one-third of respondents say they approve of the president's handling of the economy — a figure three points lower than the worst marks given to former President Joe Biden during his term.
The erosion of support extends into the president's own party, with 22 percent of Republicans expressing disapproval of Trump's economic management. The share of Republicans who strongly approve of his job performance declined from 61 percent in April to 53 percent in June, signaling potential challenges for the party heading into midterm elections.
Voter Frustration Mounts
The discontent is palpable among voters who supported Trump in 2024. Regina Kulenga, a 36-year-old Trump voter in Georgia, expressed deep disappointment with the administration's economic performance. "The economy is suffering a lot right now, and I just feel like a lot of the things that he did promise, you know, we're still waiting," Kulenga told NPR. "Honestly, I was a big Trump supporter in the beginning… and I'm like, someone needs to do something about it because he's not doing anything right now for the economy but making things, I feel, in my opinion, a lot worse than what they were."
Kulenga indicated uncertainty about whether she would participate in the upcoming midterm elections, describing Trump's actions since returning to office as a "slap in the face." While she drives an electric vehicle and does not face high gas prices personally, she noted that family members are struggling with rising costs for transportation and groceries.
Not all Republicans share this pessimism. Greg Votel, a 68-year-old retired law enforcement officer in Minnesota, defended the president's approach. "It doesn't happen overnight," Votel told NPR. "It's going to take some time, it's going to probably take at least two administrations. Trump's got the ball rolling." Votel attributed the challenges to congressional opposition, stating that the president "can only do so much when you have a Congress that's fighting him tooth and nail to preserve the Democratic Party."
Economic Pressures Reshape Summer Plans
More than three-quarters of Americans continue to report that gas prices strain their budgets, despite average prices falling approximately 40 cents per gallon over the past month, according to AAA. The survey was conducted before the recent announcement of an agreement between the United States and Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
These economic concerns are reshaping American leisure plans. Forty-five percent of respondents indicated they do not plan to take a summer vacation this year, with approximately half citing cost as the primary reason. Two-thirds of adults reported that expenses have had some or a great deal of impact on their summer plans, including 53 percent of Republicans and 49 percent of those over 60.
Households earning under $50,000 annually, Generation X respondents, and those residing outside large cities and suburbs proved most likely to cite cost as a barrier to vacation planning.
Demographic Shifts Signal Midterm Challenges
The president's declining support spans multiple demographic groups that were essential to his 2024 victory. Among independent voters, 64 percent disapprove or strongly disapprove of Trump's performance, unchanged from April. Disapproval stands at 94 percent among Democrats and 18 percent among Republicans.
Approval ratings among Generation Z voters registered at just 25 percent, while Generation X approval stood at 36 percent. Among households earning below $50,000 annually, approval declined to 34 percent. Rural Americans, who gave Trump a net positive approval rating of 22 points in February 2025, now disapprove by a 10-point margin. Latinos disapprove of the president's performance by roughly a two-to-one margin.
Particularly striking is the decline among white Americans without a college degree. Only one-third now approve of Trump's handling of the economy, down from nearly half in April 2025.
Multiple economic factors are working against Republicans in this midterm election year, including persistent inflation, the ongoing war in Iran, elevated gas prices, and Trump administration tariff policies. The poll indicates that Democrats demonstrate greater enthusiasm to vote and perceive a viable path to regaining control of both the House and Senate.
The NPR/PBS News/Marist poll surveyed 1,340 respondents between June 8 and June 11, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.0 percentage points. Respondents were contacted through live telephone calls, text messages, and online platforms.
