Trump’s Approval Rating Nosedives Even His Own Pollster Can’t Sugarcoat It

Donald Trump’s post-return honeymoon appears to be over.

A new poll conducted for The Wall Street Journal by Trump’s own campaign pollster, Tony Fabrizio, shows the former president now underwater in public approval. Just 46% of registered voters approve of Trump’s job performance, while a majority—51%—disapprove.

And that’s not just any poll. This one was conducted with the cooperation of a Democratic pollster, John Anzalone, suggesting a bipartisan confirmation of Trump’s sinking numbers.

Trump has long bragged about his “unyielding base,” but cracks are showing—and fast. Approval ratings are a barometer of political strength. A president losing favor with voters, especially early in a second term, risks bleeding support from within his own party and seeing his legislative priorities stall.

“With these numbers, he looks more like a lame duck than a comeback kid,” said a former White House aide, speaking on background. “Republicans may start distancing themselves—especially with 2026 midterms on the horizon.”

The poll was conducted between March 27 and April 1, just before Trump announced sweeping new tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners. Even before the full scope was public, the backlash had already begun. 54% oppose Trump’s tariffs on imports. Only 42% support them. A rising 52% believe the economy is getting worse, up from 37% in January.

Financial markets have been rattled, and economists warn of a looming recession if Trump sticks to his trade war playbook.

“Trump is playing with fire,” said economist Maria Choi of the Brookings Institution. “Tariffs may feel like quick wins, but they risk long-term damage—especially to working-class Americans he claims to represent.”

Predictably, Trump took to Truth Social in defiant fashion:

“Oil prices are down, interest rates are down (the slow moving Fed should cut rates!), food prices are down, there is NO INFLATION,” he wrote Monday. “The long time abused USA is bringing in Billions of Dollars a week from the abusing countries on Tariffs that are already in place.”

But independent data—and even traditionally favorable pollsters—tell a different story.

Last Friday, Rasmussen, a Republican-leaning outlet, showed Trump’s approval going negative for the first time in his second term. His standing in Reuters/Ipsos also dropped to 43%, the lowest since returning to the White House.

“American voters give a president a little grace at the beginning,” said Democratic pollster John Anzalone. “They can have high anxiety about economic policy and tariffs and still want to wait and see. I think that’s where people are.”

That patience may be running out. A second-term president facing a fragile economy, rising disapproval, and bipartisan skepticism on trade is not a recipe for strength.

With Trump digging in on tariffs—and little relief in sight for consumers—expect more turbulence ahead.

Analysts warn that Trump’s approval could sink even further as the economic pain becomes more personal for voters. Meanwhile, Democrats see an opportunity to press their case as defenders of economic stability.

“If this is the hill Trump wants to die on, let him,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD). “He’s taxing Americans through the back door and calling it patriotism.”

One thing is clear: Trump’s political armor is cracking—and this time, it’s his own numbers telling the tale.