A recent NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey indicates that President Donald Trump’s job approval rating has reached its lowest point, driven by increasing public worries over escalating expenses and the conflict in Iran.
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In total, 37% of adults endorse Trump’s presidential performance, contrasting with 63% who disapprove—half of whom strongly disapprove. This marks his lowest job approval in his second term according to NBC News Decision Desk surveys. Additionally, two-thirds of those surveyed expressed disapproval of Trump’s management of inflation and the Iran conflict.
Although the president retains substantial backing from his core supporters, Republican approval has slightly decreased since the prior Decision Desk poll in late January and early February. The recent survey shows 83% of Republicans with a favorable view of Trump, a 4-point reduction from earlier in the year. Furthermore, the proportion of Republicans who strongly approve of Trump’s job performance has fallen by 6 points, from 58% to 52%.
On a wider scale, a third of Americans feel the nation is heading in the correct direction, whereas two-thirds believe it’s off course—this represents the gloomiest sentiment recorded in Decision Desk polls since Trump reassumed office last year.
These survey findings highlight the difficulties confronting Republicans as they strive to maintain their congressional majorities in the upcoming midterm elections. Public discontent regarding the economy and the Iran conflict also follows Trump’s pledges during his 2024 presidential campaign to curb inflation and avoid international conflicts for the United States.
Economic Concerns Weigh Heavily on Americans
The economy remains the foremost concern for Americans, with 29% identifying it as their most pressing issue. This compares to 24% who cited threats to democracy, 12% for health care, and 10% for crime and safety.
When questioned about the most critical economic concern, inflation and the increasing cost of living emerged as the clear priority, selected by 45% of respondents—significantly surpassing other choices.
Only 32% of Americans approve of how Trump is managing inflation and living costs, in contrast to 68% who disapprove. A significant portion (52%) of Americans expressed strong disapproval of his approach to this issue, with an additional 16% indicating some level of disapproval.
The proportion of Americans strongly disapproving has risen by 7 points since last summer, when the Decision Desk survey last posed this question. Moreover, the 73% of Republicans approving of Trump’s inflation management marks a 10-point decrease from that earlier poll.
A greater number of Americans (40%) reported their personal financial standing as worse than a year prior, while fewer (19%) stated it was better. This represents the least optimistic sentiment recorded in any Decision Desk poll throughout Trump’s second term.
Republicans are twice as prone as independents and three times more prone than Democrats to report an improved personal economic situation currently. Thirty-four percent of Republicans hold this view, contrasted with 48% who perceive their economic status as unchanged from last year, and only 18% who believe it has worsened.
Conversely, 55% of Democrats and 46% of independents report a deterioration in their economic circumstances compared to the previous year.
Nearly two-thirds of Americans report that fuel costs have negatively impacted their households. Specifically, 29% consider it a grave issue, and 36% view it as somewhat serious, while 29% find it not very serious, and 9% see no problem whatsoever. Notably, individuals in blue-collar professions and those with less formal education are more inclined to perceive rising gas prices as problematic than white-collar workers and those holding college or postgraduate degrees.
Public Disapproval of the Iran Conflict
The most recent survey reveals that two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Trump’s management of the Iran conflict, while one-third express approval.
Public opinion regarding Trump’s approach to the war remained largely unchanged after his April 7 announcement of a temporary ceasefire, even though the survey was ongoing. Approximately one-third of Americans continued to approve of his war management in the days following the ceasefire declaration.
Nearly all Democrats and 82% of independents expressed disapproval of Trump’s handling of the war, whereas 74% of Republicans approved. However, the proportion of Republicans disagreeing with Trump’s war strategy (26%) exceeded the percentage of Republicans disapproving of his overall job performance (17%).
Despite some MAGA personalities expressing reservations about the conflict, the survey indicates that the president’s most dedicated followers remain supportive: 13% of self-identified MAGA adherents disapprove of Trump’s war management, while 87% approve.
A substantial majority (61%) of adults believe the U.S. should cease all additional military involvement in Iran. In contrast, 23% advocate for considering every option, including ground troops, and 16% support continuing military actions solely through airstrikes.
Even more significantly, 74% of Americans under 30 desire an end to the war, asserting that the U.S. should refrain from any additional military engagement in Iran.
Trump Sees Favorable Trends on Immigration and Voter ID
Earlier this year, Trump experienced a sharp drop in his immigration approval rating—a key aspect of his 2024 campaign—following an incident in Minnesota where federal immigration officers fatally shot two U.S. citizens.
Since that time, the Trump administration has attempted to signal a strategic change, evidenced by the dismissal of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and the removal of Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino. Since February, there’s been a reduction in both individuals held in ICE detention and ICE arrests. Nevertheless, ICE data indicates over 60,000 people are still in custody, nearly double the figure prior to Trump’s re-entry into office.
The latest poll indicates a slight improvement for Trump on this matter, though his approval remains negative. Generally, 44% of Americans support his management of border security and immigration, representing a 4-point increase since late January and early February, while 56% disapprove.
The proportion of adults expressing ‘strong disapproval’ of the president’s immigration stance has decreased to 42% from 49% at the start of the year.
Furthermore, Trump is prioritizing an overhaul of national voting regulations for his second term, advocating for congressional Republicans to enact the SAVE America Act. This act would institute fresh requirements for photo identification and proof of citizenship for voters. Although the House has endorsed this proposal, it lacks sufficient support for passage in the Senate.
Three-quarters of Americans express support for mandatory government-issued photo identification at the polls. Among those favoring this requirement, 61% believe these documents should also verify citizenship, while 39% prefer documents that confirm identity alone.
The NBC News Decision Desk Poll, conducted online by SurveyMonkey between March 30 and April 13, included 32,433 adult participants and has a margin of error of +/- 1.8 percentage points. Total percentages may not sum to 100 due to standard rounding practices.