President Donald Trump’s approval rating has started to slide, and it’s now trailing behind where former President Joe Biden stood at the same point in his presidency, according to multiple new polls. Despite claiming a mandate after his razor-thin victory last November, the numbers suggest that many Americans aren’t on board with his aggressive policy moves.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
According to FiveThirtyEight’s polling aggregate, Trump’s approval rating sat at 47.7% as of February 28, while 47% disapproved of his performance. Although still barely in positive territory, the trend is concerning for Trump’s camp, as approval has been on a downward trajectory for weeks.
Breaking down individual polls:
- YouGov/The Economist (February 23-25, 1,444 registered voters): Trump holds a slim +1 approval rating (48% approve, 47% disapprove).
- Morning Consult (2,225 registered voters): A slightly better +3 margin (50% approve, 47% disapprove).
- Ipsos/Reuters: A stark contrast, showing a -6 rating (44% approve, 50% disapprove).
For comparison, Biden was sitting comfortably with a 53.4% approval rating at the end of his first February in office, a full 16 points above water.
What’s Driving Trump’s Decline?
Trump entered office promising a bold conservative agenda and immediately rolled out executive orders targeting diversity programs, transgender rights, and government spending. One of his most controversial moves? The creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—a task force spearheaded by Elon Musk designed to eliminate what the administration sees as government waste. But critics argue that some of its early actions, such as mass federal firings, have alienated voters.
Political experts point to polarization as a key factor. Robert Y. Shapiro, a political science professor at Columbia University, notes that Trump’s approval among Democrats is “abysmal,” and his numbers among independents aren’t much better. Meanwhile, Biden benefited from a post-Trump honeymoon period, with many Americans relieved to move past the chaos of the 2020 election and the January 6 Capitol riot.
“Nobody is more polarizing than Donald Trump,” said Alexander Theodoridis, a professor of political science at UMass Amherst. “His approval ratings exist in a very narrow window.”
The Bigger Picture
Trump’s numbers today are actually stronger than they were during his first term, when his approval rating had already dipped into negative territory by early February 2017. But historically, presidents enjoy a brief honeymoon period before approval ratings start to drop. Biden experienced this too, though his numbers later plummeted amid economic struggles and inflation concerns.
With Democrats already gearing up for the 2026 midterms, Trump’s approval rating will be under the microscope. Will his numbers rebound, or will they continue to fall as criticism mounts over his policy decisions? That remains the million-dollar question.
