Post Published on April 25, 2025 by Anthony Ekata

 

Highlights

• Trump’s approval rating is currently at its lowest level since the start of his second term
• The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll found that just 42 percent approved of Trump’s performance as president, compared to 43 percent three weeks before
• Issues on which Americans disapprove of Trump’s performance include inflation, taxation, immigration, and the rule of law
• A considerable number of Republicans are unhappy that the president does not obey court orders
• However, Trump’s approval rating is still higher than President Joe Biden’s during most of his time in office

Details

President Donald Trump’s approval rating sank in a new poll to its lowest level since the start of his second term amid Americans’ concerns about his attempts to expand his power, The Independent reports.

The poll, which closed on Monday, was conducted by Reuters/Ipsos over six days. It found that just 42 percent approved of Trump’s performance as president, compared to 43 percent three weeks earlier. His approval rating stood at 47 percent following his second inauguration.

Trump used dozens of executive orders to target government departments, universities and law firms in a bid to boost his powers.

Unease

The poll results indicate that many Americans have become uncomfortable with the president’s efforts to penalise universities he views as political opponents, and to make himself chair of Washington’s Kennedy Center.

Out of the 4,306 respondents, 83 percent said that the president must obey court orders that he disagrees with. That includes 73 percent of Republicans and 96 percent of Democrats.

Participants were asked to react to the statement: “It’s okay for a U.S. president to withhold funding from universities if the president doesn’t agree with how the university is run.” Fifty-seven percent disagreed, with 28 percent of Republicans among them.

Trump has claimed that some universities are not doing enough to fight antisemitism, or are promoting diversity programs, and he has frozen federal money earmarked for some schools, including more than $2 billion for Harvard, which refused to comply with Trump’s dictates on how to run the university. Harvard University has sued Trump for this.

Meanwhile, 66 percent of poll respondents said they didn’t believe that the president should have power over national cultural institutions such as museums and theaters. Last month, Trump issued an order that the Smithsonian Institution remove “improper” ideology.

A different poll found that 60 percent of Americans believe the country is “seriously off on the wrong track” as trust in the Supreme Court plummets.

Issues

The Reuters/Ipsos poll revealed that Americans disapprove of Trump’s performance on several issues, including inflation, taxation, immigration, and the rule of law. Immigration remains Trump’s top issue. While 45 percent of survey respondents approved of his performance on the issue, 46 percent disapproved.
Fifty-nine percent of respondents, a third of Republicans among them, agreed that the U.S. is losing global credibility.

Trump has said that he’s interested in seeking a third term, despite the fact that the U.S. Constitution prevents him from doing so. In the poll, three-quarters said the president shouldn’t attempt to win a third term, including 53 percent of Republicans.

The poll also found that Americans are not happy with how Trump is handling inflation and the economy amid his aggressive trade agenda, which has upended global financial markets. He has also pushed the Federal Reserve to do his bidding, creating the worst sell-off in U.S. markets since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Only 37 percent of respondents approved of Trump’s handling of the economy. Just after his January 20 inauguration, that number was 42 percent. During his first term, his approval rating on the economy ranged from the mid-40s to the mid-50s.

However, President Trump’s approval rating is still higher than President Joe Biden’s during most of his time in office.

More details HERE

NP/Agency reports

Photo credit: AP