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The White House · Report · File No. 261113-721

Trump's approval hits record-low 32% in Economist/YouGov poll after midterm losses

The Economist/YouGov poll, taken Nov. 9-11, shows President Trump at the lowest mark of either term. Voters point to prices and the Iran war as Democrats prepare to take over Congress.

By the White House Desk · · 2 min read

Every quote in this story (1) was matched word for word against its source. How we work

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Donald Trump
Donald Trump. Photo: Daniel Torok, Public domain

President Trump's approval rating has dropped to 32%, the lowest in The Economist/YouGov polling of his two terms. The poll was taken Nov. 9-11 and released Nov. 12, about a week after Republicans lost the midterm elections 12.

The survey asked 1,685 U.S. citizens and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points. The 32% is down 4 points from the week before. His previous second-term low in this poll was 33% in August 12.

What the numbers show

Newsweek reports that 32% approval puts Trump's net approval at -31 points. Net approval is the share who approve minus the share who disapprove. His worst net mark in his first term was -28 1.

Trump started his second term in January 2025 with 48.9% approving and 43.3% disapproving, by Newsweek's tally. Approval reached 50.1% in mid-February 2025 and has fallen unevenly since 1.

From Channel GOPTrump dodges rigged-election question, calls Massie loserDonald Trump · 525 plays · captioned, with the source named

Other trackers also show weak numbers, though they smooth out single polls. The New York Times average shows 36% approving and 61% disapproving. Silver Bulletin has him at 37.6% and RealClearPolitics at 38.7%, as of Nov. 12 12.

Prices and the Iran war

In the YouGov poll, 66% said the country is on the wrong track and 55% said the economy is getting worse. About 42% expect prices to rise over the next year, while 15% expect them to fall. Another 37% said the nation is already in a recession 12.

Reuters/Ipsos found that only 19% of Americans approve of how Trump is handling rising prices. Just 26% approve of his handling of the war with Iran. Among independents, 12% approve on prices and 18% on Iran 1.

Independents are especially negative. In the Reuters/Ipsos post-election poll, 23% of independents approve of Trump's job performance and 71% disapprove 1.

Majorities in the YouGov poll disapproved of his handling of crime, taxes and government spending. A majority said he is using the presidency for personal gain. Half supported Congress trying to block his White House ballroom 12.

White House response

Newsweek quoted a White House spokesperson, Davis Ingle, responding to an earlier Economist/YouGov poll. Ingle said the administration has signed the "largest working-class tax cuts in history" and "locked in nearly 20 trade deals." Newsweek said it asked the White House for comment on the new poll and had not reported a reply 1.

President Trump will never stop delivering results for the American people and he will undoubtedly go down as the most successful and consequential president in American history,
Davis Ingle, White House spokesperson1

What happens next

Trump now enters the last two years of his term facing a Democratic-controlled Congress, Newsweek reports 1. Low approval can make it harder for a president to hold his own party together on tough votes. That is analysis, not something the polls measure.

One poll is a snapshot and can move. Newsweek notes that Trump's approval rebounded into the upper 30s and low 40s in some September and October polling before this drop 1. The wider trend across pollsters is still downward.

The Record

  1. Trump began his second term with 48.9% approving and 43.3% disapproving, by Newsweek's tally 1.
  2. Economist/YouGov approval fell to 33%, then his lowest mark in the poll 12.
  3. Economist/YouGov released a Nov. 9-11 poll showing 32% approval, down 4 points in a week 12.
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Sources

  1. Newsweek, “Trump's Approval Rating Keeps Falling After Midterm Losses” (2026-11-13). newsweek.com/donald-trump-approval-rating-falling-midterm-lo
  2. USA TODAY (via Yahoo News), “Trump approval rating sinks to new record low in new poll” (2026-11-12). yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-approval-rating-sinks

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