Trump’s Approval, Overall and on Economic Issues, is Cratering

National Surveys

Trump’s Approval, Overall and on Economic Issues, is Cratering

September 1, 2026

Julie Alderman Boudreau

This Navigator Research report covers the economy, Americans’ personal financial situation, and Trump regret

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Big Takeaways:

President Trump’s economic disapproval hit the highest point ever in Navigator’s tracking.

For the first time in Navigator tracking since October 2025, a majority of Republicans view the economy in a negative light.

A record high of Americans overall are uneasy about their personal financial situation since the start of Trump’s second term.

Trump’s Approval, Overall and on Economic Issues, is Cratering

While Americans struggle with the economy, they are souring on Trump and his handling of the economy. Trump’s net approval is -21 (39% approve – 60% disapprove). His net economic approval is even more dismal, sitting at -29 (34% approve – 64% disapprove). Trump’s economic approval is at a new low in Navigator’s tracking. More than three-in-10 Republicans (31%) disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy.

Majorities also disapprove of Trump’s handling of key economic issues, including:

Gas prices (20% approve – 75% disapprove),
Grocery prices (20% approve – 74% disapprove),
Inflation and the cost of living (22% approve – 73% disapprove), and
Government spending and debt (27% approve – 66% disapprove).

Americans Struggle With their Finances Amid a Troubling Economy

For the first time in Navigator tracking since October 2025, a majority of Republicans (53%) now view the economy in a negative light. Overall, nearly three-in-four (73%) view the economy negatively.

More than three-in-five (63%) are uneasy about their personal financial situation over the next few months, the highest in Navigator’s tracking since the start of President Trump’s second term. This includes 71% of independents and 62% of non-MAGA Republicans.

The Economy and Iran War Drive Trump 2024 Regret

Among those who voted for Trump in 2024 who now regret their vote (18%), the two most cited reasons were the war with Iran and his foreign policy decisions (45%) and prices and the cost of living under his leadership (43%). Similarly, when Trump regretters were asked in an open-ended question when they started to regret their vote for Trump, two of the most popular words used were “prices” and “war.”

Follow Navigator for the latest news on Trump regret, coming later this week.

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About The Study

Global Strategy Group conducted a public opinion survey among a sample of 1,000 registered voters from August 21-August 24, 2026. 100 additional interviews were conducted among Hispanic voters. 100 additional interviews were conducted among African American voters. 75 additional interviews were conducted among Asian American and Pacific Islander voters. 100 additional interviews were conducted among independent voters. 230 additional interviews were conducted among regretful Trump voters. The survey was conducted online, recruiting respondents from an opt-in online panel vendor. Respondents were verified against a voter file and special care was taken to ensure the demographic composition of our sample matched that of the national registered voter population across a variety of demographic variables. The margin of error for the full sample at the 95 percent level of confidence is +/- 3.1 percentage points. The margin of error for subgroups varies and is higher.