President Donald Trump has made history once again, but it’s not the kind of record he’d likely boast about. As he begins his second term in office, Trump enters with the lowest approval ratings of any modern president, coming in second only to himself from 2017, according to Gallup. This staggering disapproval sets a new milestone in presidential history—and not in a good way.
In the first Gallup poll measuring Trump’s approval, the numbers are grim. The President’s approval sits at a historic low, matching his 2017 debut. But it’s his disapproval rating that truly breaks records: an eye-popping 48% as he embarks on his second term. This is a significant jump from the 45% disapproval he faced when first inaugurated. It’s clear Trump’s approval ratings are deeply polarized, with nearly half of the country already voicing their displeasure.
So why the extreme numbers? While approval ratings typically hover near 50% for incoming presidents, what sets Trump apart is the sheer scale of his disapproval. Gallup notes that his approval rating is particularly unique because his disapproval is almost equally high, creating an unprecedented divide. In fact, the trend of rising disapproval ratings since President Bill Clinton took office in 1993 is more pronounced with Trump than with any of his predecessors.
But that’s not all. There’s a stark partisan divide that’s hard to ignore. A staggering 91% of Republicans view Trump favorably at the start of his second term, while only 6% of Democrats share the same sentiment. Independents, meanwhile, are somewhat more neutral, with 46% viewing his early performance positively.
Much of this division comes from the speed with which Trump has taken executive action on a variety of contentious issues, from immigration to environmental policy. These swift moves have been praised by his supporters, but to others, they signal an aggressive approach that has left little room for consensus or calm. According to Gallup, this accelerated pace has fueled much of his high disapproval rating, particularly among Democrats and independents who believe he’s moving too fast.
As Trump moves forward in his second term, it’s clear his presidency is already shaping up to be one of the most divisive in modern history. Whether his approval will rise or fall remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: he’s already left his mark on polling history.
