Voters have had no lack of events to digest when thinking of if they view President Donald Trump favorably or approve of the job he has done over the first two months of his second term.
During the past week alone, his tariff plans have taken different shapes, he has battled with courts over his administration’s ability to deport and made good on a campaign promise by releasing files regarding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
The administration has also rehired thousands of employees and worked to negotiate a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
Here’s a look at what the public thinks of Trump and the job he is doing.
Several national surveys show Trump faring the same or better than in previous surveys, with the president holding a significant approval lead over the Democratic Party in a pair of polls.
His biggest win came in an NBC News poll, which showed Trump with a 47% approval rating that matches his highest in any of the network’s polls in either of his terms. The poll also shows 44% of registered voters seeing the nation on the right track, the highest mark since 2004, and his personal favorability rating at 46%, also his highest in either term.
The numbers also stand out compared with the ratings for the Democratic Party, which shows just 27% of voters viewing it favorably. That is the party’s lowest favorability in the poll going back to 1990.
Democrats fared similarly poorly in a CNN poll that said only 29% of respondents viewed them favorably. That matches the lowest rating in the poll going back to 1992.
The most recent poll from The Economist, updated March 13, shows that 46% of registered voters surveyed had a favorable opinion of Trump and 51% were unfavorable.
A Fox News poll put Trump at 49% favorable/51% unfavorable.
A Civiqs poll updated March 19 saw Trump with a 44% favorable and 53% unfavorable score nationally.
Public polling out of Colorado is limited, but numbers from Civiqs put the president still significantly underwater.
The firm’s numbers, updated March 19, show that 38% of Coloradans have a favorable opinion of Trump, compared with 60% unfavorable. That is unchanged from the 38% favorable/60% unfavorable rating a week earlier.
In much of the country, polling still roughly mirrors the map from the 2024 election.
For example, Trump is still seen positively in Mississippi and Alabama according to USA TODAY Network reports, but lags in states he lost such as Colorado.
It’s important to note that each pollster has their own methodology, with responses gathered online, over the phone, through the mail or in person — with some using a combination of methods. They also draw from different cohorts. Registered and likely voters are more likely to be surveyed near elections, while responses may come from all Americans between elections.
Those variations can make it difficult to compare one poll to another, even from the same pollster at different parts of the political cycle.
The Pew Research Center, which has conducted public opinion polls for more than two decades, says good polls can “give everyone in the population – regardless of their wealth, age, education, race, knowledge of politics or experience with it – an equal voice about the issues of the day.”
Nate Trela covers trending news in Colorado and Utah for the USA TODAY Network.
