It is hard to find a number in American life more scrutinized, argued over, or polarized than the donald trump approval rating 2025 gallup data. Depending on which side of the political fence you’re sitting on, the 2025 numbers either look like a steady base of historic loyalty or a cautionary tale of a honeymoon that never really happened. Honestly, we’ve seen this movie before, but the 2025 sequel has some weirdly specific twists that make it different from his 2017 debut.
Back in January 2025, when Donald Trump took the oath of office for the second time, he started with a Gallup approval rating of 47%. To put that in perspective, it was slightly better than his 2017 starting point of 45%, but it still made him the only president in modern polling history to enter a term with a sub-50% approval rating. Basically, the country was just as split as it was when he left.
By the end of 2025, that number had dipped significantly. According to Gallup's final survey of the year, conducted December 1–15, his approval sat at 36%.
That is a steep drop. But if you look closer, you’ll see it isn't just a generic decline; it’s a story of a massive partisan chasm that has essentially become a permanent feature of the American landscape.
Breaking Down the Donald Trump Approval Rating 2025 Gallup Numbers
When we talk about an "average" approval rating, we’re kind of lying. There is no "average" American when it comes to these polls. There are Republicans, and there are Democrats, and the gap between them in 2025 reached levels that Gallup’s senior editors have called historic.
In the January 21–27 poll—his first after the 2025 inauguration—91% of Republicans approved of his performance. Meanwhile, only 6% of Democrats felt the same way. That is an 85-point gap. If you think that sounds extreme, you're right. For comparison, back in the 1950s and 60s, it wasn't uncommon for a president to have 30% or 40% approval from the opposing party in their first month. Those days are gone.
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The Independent Shift
The real movement in the donald trump approval rating 2025 gallup data throughout the year came from independents. This is the group that actually moves the needle.
- January 2025: 46% of independents approved of Trump.
- July 2025: That number fell to 29%.
- December 2025: It ended the year at a low of 25%.
Why the slide? Gallup's issue-specific polling suggests a few culprits. While Trump started the year with relatively high marks on crime (43%) and foreign trade (39%), he took a massive hit on the federal budget and healthcare policy. By November, only 30% of Americans approved of his handling of healthcare. When independents start seeing their own interests—like insurance costs or the deficit—moving in the wrong direction, they tend to bail.
The Economy: A Strength Turning Into a Question Mark
For years, the economy was the "safe space" for Trump’s polling. Even when people disliked his rhetoric, they often gave him a pass because they felt their wallets were full.
But in 2025, that armor showed some serious cracks.
In April 2025, nearly half of Americans (49%) told Gallup they held Trump more responsible for the state of the economy than Joe Biden. By August, his approval rating on the economy had dropped to 37%. This was a staggering 15-point decline from his first-term average of 52%.
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Part of this was tied to the "U.S. Economic Confidence Index," which Gallup tracks monthly. It peaked in January 2025 at -14 but tumbled to -33 by December. People weren't just unhappy with the president; they were getting gloomy about the future. When the "mood" of the country turns sour, the person in the White House almost always pays the price in the polls.
Issue by Issue: Where He Stands
It's not all bad news for the administration, but it's certainly mixed. Look at how the approval ratings for specific issues compared to the overall job rating in late 2025:
- Crime: 43% (The high point)
- Foreign Affairs: 41%
- Immigration: 37%
- Overall Job Approval: 36%
- The Economy: 36%
- Ukraine Situation: 31%
- Healthcare Policy: 30% (The low point)
Notice how his ratings on "strong" issues like immigration and the economy ended up matching his overall job approval? That usually means the "base" is still there, but the "persuadables" have left the building.
Historical Comparisons: How 2025 Fits In
If you look at the donald trump approval rating 2025 gallup results compared to other second-term presidents, the picture is pretty stark. Usually, a president gets a "re-election bump" or a bit of a honeymoon.
Ronald Reagan was at 63% in the December of his second-term's first year. Bill Clinton was at 56%. Even George W. Bush, who was starting to deal with the fallout of Hurricane Katrina and the Iraq War, was at 42%.
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Trump's 36% is more reminiscent of Richard Nixon in December 1973, who was sitting at 30% in the heat of the Watergate scandal. It’s a very lonely place for a president to be.
However, there is one weird silver lining for the Trump team. Despite the low approval, his supporters are more "locked in" than almost any other group in polling history. While his approval is low, his intensity remains high. Republicans' approval never dropped below 84% all year. That means that while he might be losing the country, he isn't losing his party.
Actionable Insights: What This Means for 2026
The numbers from 2025 aren't just trivia; they're a roadmap for what happens next in American politics. If you're trying to make sense of the noise, keep these things in mind:
- Watch the 34% Floor: In January 2021, after the Capitol riots, Trump hit an all-time Gallup low of 34%. Throughout 2025, he hovered just above that (36-37%). If he breaks below 34%, it means he is finally losing a chunk of his core base.
- The "Independent" Recovery: For the administration to pass any major legislation in 2026, they have to win back the independents who dropped from 46% to 25%. Without them, the White House has zero leverage over moderate members of Congress.
- Economy vs. Culture: Trump’s best numbers are still on "tough" issues like crime and foreign trade. Expect the 2026 messaging to lean heavily into those areas to distract from the healthcare and budget numbers.
The donald trump approval rating 2025 gallup data shows a nation that has essentially retreated into two armed camps. One side sees a leader fighting against the odds; the other sees a presidency in decline. The 2025 numbers suggest that the "middle ground" in American politics has become a very small, very quiet place.
Next Steps for Following the Polls:
To get a full picture of the political climate heading into the midterms, you should monitor the Gallup "Economic Confidence Index" alongside the job approval numbers. Often, the economic sentiment shifts 2-3 months before the approval rating does, making it a leading indicator for the president's political health. You can also compare these results with the "Right Track/Wrong Track" data to see if the dissatisfaction is aimed specifically at Trump or at the government as a whole.