Trump’s approval rating deep underwater on all issues for first time

President Donald Trump’s approval rating has slipped deep below water on every issue measured by an independent monthly tracker poll for the first time in the survey’s history.

While Trump polled underwater on every issue with the tracker in February, March and May, this is the first time his rating has fallen well below zero across the board. The erosion spans issues Republicans have traditionally owned, which suggests the president is entering the final stretch before the midterms facing the most intense opposition of his second term.

Key Takeaways

• Trump is net negative on all 12 issues tested in the August Strength in Numbers/Verasight polling series.
• Net approval ratings are calculated by subtracting the percentage of people who disapprove from those who approve of the president’s performance on a given issue.
• Border security, long his strongest issue, fell from +1 in July to −5, marking its worst reading yet.
• Trump’s approval on prices dropped to −48, a record low in the tracker.
• Overall, 37 percent approve and 60 percent disapprove of Trump’s job performance—a net of −23, down from −21 in July.
• Strong disapproval outnumbers strong approval by almost 3-to-1 (49 percent versus 17 percent).
• Democrats lead the generic congressional ballot 49 to 43 among registered voters.

A new Strength in Numbers/Verasight poll fielded August 14-19, which surveyed 1,514 U.S. adults ages 18 and older found Trump underwater on all 12 issues it tracks, as border security—his last positive rating—slipped to −5. The poll had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.6 percent.

Why It Matters

For most of the past year and a half, border security was the one issue keeping Trump’s head above water, cresting at +11 in May 2025, according to the Strength in Numbers/Verasight poll.

Its fall into negative territory this month—even as the administration touts a hard-line crackdown—signals that voter frustration, driven above all by prices, is now bleeding into an area the president once dominated. Signs of softening amid Trump’s own coalition could reshape the political terrain for down-ballot candidates in November.

Trump’s Last Positive Issue Falls

Border security had been Trump’s reliable strength since his second inauguration in January 2025.

However, it dropped this month to −5, the worst figure recorded since the Strength in Numbers/Verasight tracker launched in May 2025.

The timing is notable: On August 13, the Department of Homeland Security announced 15 straight months with zero migrant releases at the southern border and said daily apprehensions had fallen 94 percent from the last year of the Biden administration.

But according to the polling data, voters do not appear to be rewarding the president for his enhanced immigration enforcement.

Trump’s Approval on Prices Sinks to Record Low

Trump’s weakest issue also got weaker. Net approval on prices and inflation fell from −42 in July to −48, the lowest reading for any issue in the tracker’s history.

Only 24 percent of adults approve of how he’s handling prices, with 72 percent disapproving.

Other issues also slid. Foreign policy dropped 7 points, trade fell 5, and jobs and the economy dropped 4.

Education held flat, as did elections and democracy—but neither category was in strong shape to begin with.

Notably, several issue ratings are falling faster than the president’s overall number, a possible early sign of erosion that hasn’t fully surfaced in the top line.

Trump’s Coalition Is Losing Its Fire

Some 49 percent of adults strongly disapprove of Trump’s performance, against 17 percent who strongly approve—a 32-point gap approaching 3-to-1. Across 2025, that ratio ran closer to 2-to-1.

The sharpest shift is happening inside his own base. Among Trump’s approvers, the share who feel strongly about his performance fell from 54 percent last year to under 47 percent in August. Not only has his coalition shrunk but his remaining loyalists are cooling.

Prices Unite a Divided Country

If Americans agree on anything, it’s what worries them most: rising costs.

Some 37 percent name prices and inflation as the single biggest problem facing the country. The issue tops the list for Republicans (36 percent), Democrats (37 percent) and independents (38 percent) at almost identical rates.

Elections and democracy trail as a distant second at 14 percent. While there is consensus on the problem, the fight persists over who is to blame.

Democrats Hold the Advantage

Voters trust Democrats to handle eight of the 12 issues tested, including every top priority: health care by 22 points, government funding by 17, education by 15 and prices by 9.

Republicans lead on lower-salience issues: border security by 14 points, crime by 4, immigration by 1 and deportations by 1. The last two categories have drifted toward Democrats this year.

On the generic congressional ballot, Democrats lead 49 to 43 among registered voters, matching June’s margin.

It’s a remarkably durable edge: Across 15 polls since May 2025, Democrats have never trailed. Among voters who say they’ll definitely turn out in November, that lead grows to 9 points.

Most Americans Think Change Is Needed

The broader mood is grim. A 52 percent majority of adults say things are going poorly and that major, disruptive changes are needed, up from 49 percent in July. Just 7 percent say the country is going well.

The pessimism cuts across party lines: 82 percent of Democrats, 53 percent of independents and even 21 percent of Republicans say things are going poorly.

What the White House Says

The administration has pushed back on the gloomy numbers by pointing to its economic record.

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle has repeatedly highlighted what the administration describes as progress on jobs, inflation and housing affordability.

“No other president in history has accomplished more for the American people than President Trump, who is working tirelessly to create jobs, cool inflation, increase housing affordability, and more,” Ingle told Newsweek in an emailed statement.

“The President has already made historic progress not only in America but around the world, and this is just the beginning as his agenda continues taking effect.”

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: John Fitzpatrick and Shakeema Edwards.