Donald Trump approval rating shifts with low‑income voters

President Donald Trump’s approval rating with low-income Americans has fluctuated over the past month, according to data from a series of national polls. 

Newsweek has contacted the White House via email for comment. 

Why It Matters 

Low‑income voters represent a substantial share of the electorate and anchor both parties’ economic messaging. For Trump, persistent disapproval among these voters may complicate efforts to frame his administration as delivering relief to working‑class Americans.

For Democrats, the numbers indicate that while Trump remains vulnerable, his support in this income bracket is not collapsing—and small swings could matter significantly in battleground states.

What To Know 

Trump’s support among Americans earning under $50,000 fell at the start of January and then partially rebounded across five consecutive Economist/YouGov surveys spanning late December through late January.

Across this series of polls conducted through web‑based interviews, Trump’s approval among low-income voters ranged from a low of 34 percent to a high of 38 percent. Disapproval consistently sat in the mid‑50s to low‑60s. 

Economically stressed voters can often react more quickly to price shifts, job security concerns, and perceptions of presidential competence. Their fluctuating responses across these surveys reflect that sensitivity.

All five polls reached large national samples of between roughly 1,550 and 1,700 U.S. adult citizens, and each survey had a margin of error of just over three percentage points—enough to track meaningful changes without overstating week‑to‑week noise.

The final poll of 2025, carried out December 26–29 with 1,550 adults nationwide, found 38 percent of low‑income voters approving of Trump’s performance while 54 percent disapproved. That shift toward disapproval grew sharper as the new year opened. 

In the next survey, conducted January 2–5 and based on responses from 1,551 adults, approval among these voters dropped to 34 percent and disapproval climbed to 61 percent.

A week later, some of that ground was regained. 

The January 9–12 poll, which interviewed 1,602 adults across the country, showed approval nudging up to 36 percent and disapproval falling back to 54 percent—suggesting that the previous week’s slump may have been temporary. But the improvement stalled in the following survey. 

Between January 16–19, researchers spoke with 1,722 adults and again recorded a 36 percent approval rating among low‑income respondents, with disapproval slightly higher at 57 percent.

The most recent results, from interviews conducted January 23–26 with 1,684 adults, show approval rising once more to 38 percent while disapproval fell slightly to 56 percent. 

The margins of error—ranging from plus or minus 3.2 to plus or minus 3.6 percent across the five surveys—mean these movements are modest but real enough to chart a clear takeaway: Trump’s standing with low‑income Americans remains consistently underwater, even as week‑to‑week shifts move within a relatively narrow band.

Put simply, these voters are not swinging dramatically in either direction. 

Their views seem to oscillate slightly depending on the moment, but the overall picture is steady: most continue to disapprove of the president’s performance, and only around one‑third express support.

What People Are Saying 

Writing last week, YouGov’s David Montgomery said: “A major measure of Americans’ opinion of how Donald Trump is doing his job as president hit a new low this week for his second term in office. This is primarily driven by a drop in job approval this week among Trump’s Republican base. It’s too early to say whether this drop represents a durable change in how Americans view Trump’s job performance.”

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly previously told Newsweek: “President Trump took office with a resounding mandate from the nearly 80 million Americans who voted for him to secure our border, end Joe Biden’s inflation crisis, remove criminal illegal aliens from our streets, and restore American Greatness both at home and abroad. 

“He has firmly cemented his legacy as the Peace President–having ended eight wars and counting and saving millions of lives. He is delivering on his promises, and the American people remain firmly aligned with the President’s agenda to Make America Great Again, regardless of the Mainstream Media’s so-called polling.”

Trump posted on Truth Social last week: “Fake and Fraudulent Polling should be, virtually, a criminal offense… Something has to be done about Fraudulent Polling… Isn’t it sad what has happened to American Journalism, but I am going to do everything possible to keep this Polling SCAM from moving forward!”

What Happens Next

If Trump’s approval among low‑income voters continues to hover below 40 percent, Republicans may face pressure to sharpen their economic pitch or roll out more targeted proposals. 

Democrats, meanwhile, will see these numbers as a sign that economic arguments could remain one of their strongest tools. 

The next round of polling will show whether January’s fluctuations harden into a longer‑term trend—or whether these voters remain in a state of restless, unresolved skepticism.