US President Donald Trump’s approval rating, which had held remarkably steady for months despite a turbulent political environment, has begun to soften in recent weeks. New polling compiled by The New York Times shows a modest but meaningful erosion in public sentiment, driven primarily by broad concerns about the cost of living and uncertainty about the country’s economic direction, the New York Times reported.
For most of the year, Trump appeared insulated from political fallout even as he deployed National Guard troops to left-leaning cities, imposed sweeping tariffs, pushed legal action against political rivals and pressured universities to overhaul their policies. Public attitudes toward his presidency barely moved. But as inflation worries sharpened and household budgets tightened, voter patience has become more fragile.
The Times’s polling average now shows Trump with a net negative approval rating of 14 points, a decline from a 10-point gap only weeks earlier. While the shift is not dramatic in absolute terms, it represents the most notable change in his standing since his second term began.
Independents and college-educated men pull back
The softening is concentrated among groups that had previously offered Trump conditional support. Self-identified independents, who often serve as a barometer of shifting national mood, have grown increasingly sceptical. Only 31 percent approved of his job performance in a recent Marquette University Law School survey, down ten points from July.
Another warning sign is emerging among white, college-educated men — a demographic Trump won by half in last year’s election. Fox News polling now places his approval with this group at 40 percent, down from 47 percent in June. Their changing views are particularly significant because they have historically been receptive to Trump’s economic message, even when uneasy about his political style.
Yet, despite cracks around the edges, party loyalty remains strong. Ninety-one percent of Republicans still approve of his performance, illustrating how deeply partisan alignment continues to shape public opinion. Roughly five percent of Democrats consistently express approval, a figure that has barely shifted.
The economy becomes a liability
Immigration remains a polarizing issue, but Trump’s numbers on border security have not worsened. What has changed is how voters view his stewardship of the economy. Throughout the summer, his economic approval hovered in the low 40s. By November it had fallen to 36 percent, one of his sharpest declines on any issue.
The data suggests that voters feel squeezed: a majority told Fox News they have been harmed by today’s economic conditions, and three-quarters in Marquette’s polling say grocery prices have risen over the past year. A Reuters/Ipsos survey found that only 26 percent think Trump is effectively managing the cost of living.
In response, Trump has alternated between promising aggressive action to lower household expenses and dismissing Democrats’ focus on affordability as gimmick politics. He has simultaneously claimed to be the “affordability president” while arguing that the inflation discourse is a partisan “con job,” insisting he inherited “the worst inflation in history.”
Political fallout beyond the White House
Trump’s slight downturn coincided with the recent federal shutdown, though voters assign blame widely — to the president, Democrats and congressional Republicans in nearly equal measure. Approval ratings for both parties fell as well, though less sharply, revealing a general dissatisfaction with Washington rather than a singular repudiation of the president.
Republican frustration has also surfaced in isolated but symbolic ways. Trump faced pressure from within his party over the release of material related to Jeffrey Epstein, and his calls for eliminating the Senate filibuster have found little support among GOP senators. State-level Republicans have likewise resisted his push to reshape redistricting maps to Republican advantage.
Still, the president’s standing within his party remains overwhelming, even as independents and some former supporters express unrest. With cost-of-living anxieties shaping voter attitudes more than any cultural or political fight, Trump’s approval appears more vulnerable than at any point since the election — a reminder that economic sentiment often eclipses every other issue, even in a hyper-polarized era.
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