President Donald Trump is facing a significant second-term slump, with a slew of warning signs flashing red for his administration. Exclusive new polling for the Daily Mail by JL Partners indicates that the president's approval rating has sunk to just 45 percent, a dramatic drop that threatens the core coalition that re-elected him.
Polling Numbers Paint a Bleak Picture
The latest survey, conducted on November 19-20, reveals a steep decline in public support. The current 45 percent approval represents a six-point drop from the previous poll and a startling ten-point fall over the last two months. This downward trend is particularly striking given that in September, the same poll had Trump at a high of 55 percent approval. Now, that 55 percent figure represents the share of voters who *disapprove* of his performance as he nears the one-year anniversary of his return to office.
Many of the elements that once formed the bedrock of Trump's appeal now appear to be driving voters away. The president's economic and immigration policies, along with his 'approach to governing', are the top three reasons voters are souring on him. Healthcare is also a significant factor, with the White House struggling to formulate a plan to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of February.
Economic Woes and Immigration Enforcement Take Their Toll
The economic impact is proving particularly damaging for the president. While Trump boasts that his economic policy is improving lives, voters disagree. Those who rank inflation as their top issue give him only a 40 percent approval rating. For those prioritising economic growth, his approval sits at 44 percent.
Americans' pocketbooks are feeling the strain from the sweeping tariffs Trump imposed on nearly every country this year. Since these tariffs took effect:
- Apparel and textiles have increased by between eight and 17 percent.
- Groceries and food are up between 1.6 and 2.8 percent, with some products seeing a 25 percent increase.
The situation deteriorated so severely that the administration had to place exceptions on consumables like coffee and bananas. In response, Trump is now promising a $2,000 tariff stimulus check for middle and lower-income Americans, though the mechanism for this remains unclear.
On immigration, a cornerstone of his political identity, the news is also grim. Trump's net approval on ICE operations dropped four points, suggesting that even tough immigration enforcement has its limits with voters. An immigration attorney in New York, Benjamin Peña, speculated to the Daily Mail, "I think it's likely not many Trump supporters imagined ICE operations would be this brutal on the immigration community." He added that these factors are slowly impacting even former supporters.
Demographic Shifts and White House Pushback
The polling data reveals a notable erosion of support within key demographics. Hispanic and young voters (aged 18-29) represent the largest groups abandoning Trump, with just 36 percent approval among each demographic. Furthermore, only 24 percent of black voters approve of the president.
The White House has pushed back vigorously on the poll's outcome. In a statement, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson asserted that in less than a year, Trump has "already delivered on many of the promises he was elected to enact." She listed achievements including securing the border, tackling inflation, lowering drug prices, and deporting criminal illegal aliens.
However, critics tell a different story. A progressive Democratic operative, Bradley Beychok with American Bridge, claimed Trump has "failed" to fix the issues he promised to address. He pointed to the failed "tariff circus" as the root of the economic bust and warned, "we haven't hit rock bottom." With an overall margin of 10 percent among all 1,246 respondents, it appears voters are becoming increasingly disenfranchised by Trump's approach to politics, setting the stage for a challenging year ahead.
