Politics
Trump Approval Rating Rises
By Jake Beardslee · December 9, 2025
President Donald Trump’s approval rating has edged upward, according to new polling from Reuters/Ipsos that shows 41 percent of Americans now approve of his performance—an increase from 38 percent last month.
The uptick comes as the political environment begins to shift toward the 2026 midterm elections, a cycle that historically serves as a referendum on an incumbent president. With Republicans holding narrow control of Congress—219 to 214 in the House and 53 to 47 in the Senate—even slight erosion in support could complicate the party’s legislative agenda through the remainder of Trump’s term.
The national survey of 4,434 U.S. adults, conducted between December 3 and December 8 with a margin of error of ±2 points, found that Trump’s approval has improved from its November low point, when it slipped to 38 percent—his weakest reading since returning to office in January. It nevertheless remains below the 47 percent approval level recorded at the start of his administration.
Trump is preparing to visit Pennsylvania for remarks focused on the economy and his inflation agenda. Earlier this week, he rolled out a $12 billion farm aid package designed to support agricultural producers facing rising costs and shrinking export opportunities after his administration increased tariffs on China.
The Reuters/Ipsos numbers contrast with several recent surveys showing Trump underwater. An Economist/YouGov poll found his approval at 39 percent with 58 percent disapproving—his lowest rating since January—while I&I/TIPP data currently places his net approval at -3 points, with 44 percent approving and 47 percent disapproving.
Trump, for his part, has dismissed negative polls. In a recent Truth Social post, he wrote: “So many Fake Polls are being shown by the Radical Left Media, all slanted heavily toward Democrats and Far Left Wingers…Fake News will never change, they are evil and corrupt, but, as I look around my beautiful surroundings, I say to myself, ‘Oh, look, I’m sitting in the Oval Office!’”
Trump’s standing will continue to evolve as his presidency progresses, with the next major test coming in the November 2026 midterms.