2 weeks Ago By AZCentral | The Arizona Republic
President Donald Trump's approval ratings dipped to a new second-term low following a week of sweeping decisions impacting global trade, the U.S. stock market, libraries and health research institutes, among others.
This week Trump announced the most significant increase in tariffs in U.S. history — a sweeping 10% reciprocal tariffs on most goods coming into the United States.
The announcement sent shockwaves across the globe, and caused stock markets in the country to see the biggest drop since the beginning of the pandemic. That same day, Trump 's approval rating fell to 43%, the lowest since his return to office, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found , showing signs of a souring in the American public's eye. The public's disapproval has also been expressed beyond poll numbers.
A mass protest was expected to take place on April 5 at hundreds of locations around the country. The Trump administration was also continuing to revoke visas from university students , among them were eight Arizona State University students. Leaders with the Trump administration have come down against pro-Palestinian advocates in particular, calling them " anti-American " and saying the administration has the right to revoke the privilege of studying in the U.
S. Moreover, on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, libraries across the country were informed that grants approved last year ‒ and in many cases already spent ‒ are being terminated. As a result, all work on approving federal grants for state, local and academic libraries was immediately halted.
Democratic attorneys general in several states, including Arizona, were suing the Trump administration over its cuts to libraries' funding as well as the cancellation of research grants for the National Institutes of Health , which the group said were critical for life-saving medical research . Here's what to know about Trump's approval rating, including how they are decided and how Trump's ratings compare with his first term and past presidents. What is Donald Trump's approval rating? Here are the latest approval ratings released about Trump's administration: How does Trump's approval rating compare with his 1st term? Trump had a final approval rating of 34% when he left office in 2021.
His approval average during his first term was 41%. How does Trump's approval rating compare with past presidents? Are presidential approval ratings accurate? Data agency Gallup notes that these approval ratings are a "simple measure, yet a very powerful one that has played a key role in politics for over 70 years." A president’s approval rating reflects the percentage of Americans polled who approve of the president’s performance.
Anything can impact a president's rating, such as legislation passed, actions and elections. According to ABC News , an approval rating doesn't just represent how well the administration is doing for the general public, but could determine the outcome of an upcoming election for a politician or how much they get done during their time in office. While these ratings are easy to understand, Quorum says some analysts believe they are not as useful as they once were due to extreme partisanship and the polarized political climate.
“Presidential approval ratings have always been partisan, with members of the president’s party offering more positive assessments than those in the opposing party,” according to the Pew Research Center . “But the differences between Republicans and Democrats on views of the president have grown substantially in recent decades.” USA TODAY Network reporter Maria Francis contributed to this article.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Donald Trump's approval rating: See the latest polls.
