Fresh CNN polling shows President Donald Trump’s approval ratings hitting new second-term lows on the economy, foreign affairs and inflation, as public unease deepens across core policy areas.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Newsweek in an emailed statement, “The ultimate poll was November 5, 2024, when nearly 80 million Americans overwhelmingly elected President Trump to deliver on his popular and commonsense agenda.”
Why It Matters
Public sentiment is shifting as the administration confronts fallout from the Iran war, mounting economic pressures, and a political calendar already tilting toward the midterms.
Slipping support among low-income voters, a key part of Trump’s electoral coalition, adds to the stakes.
What To Know
A new CNN poll conducted by SSRS between March 26 and March 30, 2026, found Trump’s approval ratings at their lowest point yet across three major policy areas: the economy, foreign affairs and inflation.
The survey was based on a random national sample of 1,201 adults, interviews were conducted using a mix of online and telephone methods, with results weighted to reflect the U.S. adult population, and the margin of sampling error for the full sample was plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
On the economy, 31 percent of respondents said they approved of how Trump was handling the issue, while 69 percent said they disapproved.
That produced a net approval of minus 38 points, the lowest recorded in this CNN/SSRS polling series.
Views on foreign affairs were similarly negative, with just 36 percent approving of Trump’s handling of international issues, compared with 64 percent who disapproved, resulting in a net rating of minus 28 points.
Inflation drew the harshest response, with only 27 percent of those surveyed saying they approved of Trump’s handling of rising prices, while 72 percent said they disapproved. The net rating of minus 45 marks the weakest showing yet on inflation.
These figures represent a sharp deterioration compared with earlier polling during Trump’s second term.
In an April 17 to April 24, 2025, CNN/SSRS poll—the first time all three issues were tested together in this series—Trump’s numbers were notably higher, though still underwater.
That survey used a representative sample of 1,678 respondents, including 1,202 from the SSRS Opinion Panel and 476 from the RBS panel.
The margin of sampling error for total respondents was plus or minus 2.9 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level. At that point, 39 percent approved and 61 percent disapproved of Trump’s handling of the economy, for a net rating of minus 22.
Foreign affairs registered similar results, with 39 percent approval and 60 percent disapproval, a net of minus 21.
Inflation, tested for the first time in this series, stood at 35 percent approval and 64 percent disapproval, producing a net rating of minus 29.
Going back further, a March 6 to March 9, 2025, CNN/SSRS poll—the first time the economy and foreign affairs were tested in this specific series during Trump’s second term—showed comparatively stronger numbers.
That survey was based on a representative sample of 1,206 respondents and carried a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.
In that earlier poll, 44 percent approved of Trump’s handling of the economy, while 56 percent disapproved, yielding a net rating of minus 12.
Foreign affairs stood at 42 percent approval and 58 percent disapproval, a net of minus 16.
Taken together, the data show a consistent downward trend across all three issues, with approval slipping and disapproval rising over the past year.
Each new low reflects movement well outside the margins of error when compared with the earlier surveys, underscoring a measurable shift rather than statistical noise.
What People Are Saying
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Newsweek in an emailed statement: “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. 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.”
A White House official previously told Newsweek: “Polling shows President Trump’s decision to launch Operation Epic Fury has Americans’ support—with MAGA and Republicans strongly supporting it. Despite some online commentators with large followings publicly disagreeing with the president’s decision—and many legacy media outlets eagerly highlighting their comments to try and sow division—the MAGA base is not wavering one bit.”
President Donald Trump said last month: “When this is over, oil prices are going to go down very, very rapidly. So is inflation. So is everything else. But frankly, much more important than short-term or even long-term oil prices: You cannot let the most violent, vicious country in the last 50 years have a nuclear weapon.”
What Happens Next
Attention is likely to turn to upcoming economic data releases, further developments in U.S. foreign policy and the early maneuvering ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Future polling will test whether shifting conditions alter public views or reinforce the trends now taking shape.
Read the full article here
