Free fall in Trump’s popularity after 100 days

The White House announced that Trump and his administration will highlight their actions from the first 100 days this week while looking ahead to the next 100 days with a focus on trade deals and negotiations.

Meanwhile, a new ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll reveals that Trump is experiencing the lowest 100-day approval rating of any U.S. president in the past 80 years, driven by public opposition to many of his policies and widespread economic dissatisfaction, including pervasive fears of an economic recession.

The poll shows few bright spots for the president, with none of his tested policies garnering majority support.

Trump’s overall approval rating has declined compared to two months ago. The Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll indicates that 39% of American adults approve of Trump’s performance, while 55% disapprove, with 44% strongly disapproving. In February, these figures were 45% approval and 53% disapproval.

Trump’s 100-day approval rating is lower than that of any other president in their first or second term. He has seen a 10% drop in approval among white adults without college degrees—a key pillar of his political coalition—as well as a 13% decline among adults under 30 and an 11% drop among those who said they did not vote in November.

Among independents, a group Trump narrowly lost to in November, sentiment has shifted heavily toward disapproval, with 33% approving and 58% disapproving. Among independents leaning Republican, Trump’s approval has fallen from 76% to 63% since February.

On specific issues, more than 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy, U.S. relations with other countries, imposing tariffs on imported goods, and managing the recent financial market crisis. A smaller majority dislike his management of the federal government and his attention to ordinary Americans.

Even on immigration, a signature issue for the president, 53% disapprove of his performance, though some of his policy decisions garner support.

A majority of Americans say Trump has “gone too far” in efforts to expand presidential power, fire federal employees to shrink the workforce, close government institutions, and take actions against political opponents.

A slim majority (51%) believe he has overreached in efforts to end initiatives promoting racial diversity in government and the private sector, and 48% say he has gone too far in policies deporting undocumented immigrants.

Half of Americans believe Trump’s performance on deporting undocumented immigrants is either appropriate or “not enough.” However, most say he has gone too far on several issues.

Trump won last year’s election largely on immigration and economic issues. Many viewed him as a better economic manager than Biden or Harris, and his economic evaluations during his first term were generally positive. That is no longer the case.

Today, economic approval for Trump stands at 39% positive and 61% negative. This is a decline from two months ago, when approval was 45% positive and 53% negative—before the announcement of widespread tariffs on various countries. The Washington Post-ABC poll shows the highest disapproval and lowest approval ever recorded for Trump.

Notably, Trump’s economic approval is only 2% better than Biden’s 37% approval from about a year ago. Overall, more than 7 in 10 Americans say the economy is either “not so good” or “weak,” consistent with February findings.

Despite the negative findings about the president’s actions, the poll offers little encouragement for Democrats. Americans trust Trump (37%) more than congressional Democrats (30%) to address the country’s main problems, with 30% trusting neither. They also view the Democratic Party as slightly more out of touch with public concerns compared to Trump or the Republican Party.

Roughly 7 in 10 Americans say the Democratic Party has “lost touch with the people,” while 6 in 10 say the same about Trump.