Trump’s approval sinks to new low as NBC poll warns Republicans

Donald Trump has slipped to his lowest approval rating of his second term in the latest NBC News Decision Desk Poll, and the warning signs now extend beyond the White House to Republican lawmakers trying to protect their majorities.

The survey found 37% of adults approved of Trump’s job performance, while 63% disapproved, including 50% who strongly disapproved. That marks a new low in NBC News’ Decision Desk polling during his second term, and the decline was not limited to Democrats. Among Republicans, Trump’s positive approval rating fell 4 points from the previous poll, while the share who strongly approved dropped 6 points. That matters more than any single topline number because it suggests some softening inside the GOP coalition, not just sharper polarization among everyone else.

The clearest structural problem for Republicans is not a passing headline but the policy terrain Trump has chosen. Inflation and the rising cost of living remained the top issue for Americans, and 68% of respondents disapproved of Trump’s handling of it. On the war with Iran, 67% disapproved of his handling, leaving Trump underwater on two issues that have been central to his pitch: lowering prices and avoiding new foreign entanglements. NBC said the share of Americans who strongly disapproved of Trump’s inflation handling reached 52%, up 7 points since last summer, underscoring that the criticism is hardening rather than fading.

The broader mood is just as bleak. Only about one-third of Americans said the country is on the right track, while roughly two-thirds said it is on the wrong track, the most pessimistic reading in NBC News Decision Desk polling since Trump retook office in 2025. That kind of environment can cut both ways, but it is especially dangerous for the party defending power in the middle of a governing slump. Republicans will enter the 2026 midterm elections carrying those numbers into swing states, where independent voters can decide control of Congress.

NBC’s earlier February polling showed Trump’s immigration ratings had already fallen to about the same level as his overall approval, another sign that one of his strongest issues was losing its edge. NBC analyst Marc Trussler said independents in swing states are a critical group, and their shift on one of Trump’s top priorities is “really telling.” For Republicans, the headline low may be temporary; the deeper problem is the pattern behind it.