In a lengthy and often disjointed interview with Fox News's The Five on Thursday, former President Donald Trump made the bold assertion that his popularity has reached unprecedented heights, directly contradicting a series of recent polls indicating he has never been more unpopular with the American electorate.
Defiance in the Face of Data
The interview, which occurred shortly after Trump extended a deadline for negotiations with Iran via a Truth Social post, saw the former president dismiss unfavorable polling data while promoting selective statistics. He specifically referenced a CNN poll indicating 100 percent approval within the MAGA faction of the Republican Party, claiming this movement now represents the entire party.
Attack on Fox News Polling
Trump then launched into a critique of the well-regarded Fox News poll, the latest iteration of which shows a significant 59 percent of Americans disapprove of his performance. "I hate Fox polls. Honestly, whoever does your polls are terrible. Rupert Murdoch has promised me for years he's going to get rid of your pollster, but he doesn't do it. I don't get it, but your Fox polls are terrible," he stated emphatically.
Contrasting this, Trump claimed that "pollsters that are good" currently show him "leading by a lot and leading every candidate" in a hypothetical 2028 presidential race. He tempered this by acknowledging the constitutional barrier to a third term, remarking, "I would love to run — some things you can't do in life, I guess ... but we're very popular."
The Reality of Public Opinion
In stark contrast to Trump's assertions, the political landscape tells a different story. The 59 percent disapproval rating recorded by Fox News marks a new low for his second term, with only 41 percent of respondents supporting his agenda. This represents a notable decline from the 49 percent approval and 51 percent disapproval recorded in a similar poll approximately one year ago.
Foreign Policy Concerns
Public unease extends beyond general approval to specific policy areas. The Fox News survey revealed that 62 percent of respondents disapprove of Trump's handling of foreign affairs, with 64 percent specifically disapproving of his Iran policy. This sentiment is echoed in other recent polls.
A Reuters poll released last week placed Trump's approval rating even lower at 36 percent. Furthermore, an Associated Press/NORC poll released on Thursday found that six in ten Americans believe the war against Iran, initiated by Trump alongside Israel last month, has gone too far. Supermajorities of Americans also oppose deploying American ground troops to the region.
Context of Current Discontent
The disparity between Trump's claimed popularity and the polling data exists within a context of significant public challenges. Sky-high gasoline prices and massive airport delays, resulting from the ongoing conflict with Iran and a month-long shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, have contributed to widespread voter dissatisfaction.
During the interview, after claiming the U.S. does not require the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened due to the nation's status as a net oil exporter, Trump circled back to his central theme: "We don't need it, but I think I'm more popular than I ever have been." The available empirical evidence, however, suggests a much more complex and less favorable reality for the former president among the broader American public.
