Poll: Trump’s Year in Review

This Navigator Research report covers the latest views of Trump and his administration’s actions over the last year.

Presidential Approval and Economic Handling

While President Trump’s approval ratings have improved slightly since the lows of the government shutdown, they remain below his standing prior to the shutdown. Currently, the President sits at 13-points underwater and -38 among independents. Similarly, his economic approval is 14-points underwater, only slightly above the lows seen before the shutdown, Liberation Day, and the rollout of tariffs.

Americans are most negative on the President’s handling of inflation and the cost of living. A majority of Americans disapprove of his performance on these issues (61%), compared to just 35% who approve—a 26-point deficit. This gap widens significantly among independents, where the President faces a 53-point deficit.

While inflation remains the main drag on his approval, other issues such as health care, tariffs, and government spending are also sources of negativity. Specifically, the President sees his second-lowest approval rating on health care, with 57% of Americans disapproving of his performance. This represents a 21-point net deficit overall and a 37-point net deficit among independents. Furthermore, qualitative data indicates that tariffs and Epstein are dominating the negative news cycle regarding the President.

Specific Concerns

As the year progresses, 14% of Trump voters now say they regret their vote. This sentiment is even more pronounced among non-MAGA Republicans, 17% of whom now express regret. When asked to explain this shift, the economy and broken promises are cited as the primary drivers of regret.

Specific policy critiques resonate strongly with concerned Americans. Half of Americans (50%) find it “extremely concerning” that the President promised to look out for forgotten Americans but is cutting SNAP funding and health care while passing tax cuts for the wealthy. Additionally, 47% are extremely concerned that despite promises to put Americans first, billions of dollars are being spent on foreign conflicts, including potential ground strikes in Venezuela. Concerns regarding immigration enforcement also persist, with 44% finding the deportation of legal residents and law-abiding immigrants extremely concerning.

The Prioritization Gap

There is a significant disconnect between what Americans want the government to prioritize and what they perceive as the focus of the President and Republicans in Congress. Inflation and the cost of living remain the top priority for Americans, with 57% ranking it among their top five most important issues. Jobs and the economy follow closely (44%), along with health care, Social Security, and corruption in government.

Notably, immigration has fallen out of the top five issues for Americans, now sitting at 27%. However, 69% of Americans believe the President and congressional Republicans are focused on immigration and the border. This creates a massive 42-point gap between the issue’s actual importance to Americans and the perceived prioritization by leadership. Conversely, Americans see 20-point deficits in focus on the issues that matter most to them: inflation, the economy, and health care. Congressional Democrats, meanwhile, are more likely to be seen as prioritizing health care (39%), aligning with one of the public’s top concerns.