Donald Trump’s public standing isn’t just slipping — it’s careening off a cliff. A fresh NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll shows his approval at a meager 39 percent, while 56 percent of Americans disapprove, including a staggering 51 percent who strongly disapprove of his leadership. That’s the highest intensity of disapproval Marist has recorded since they started asking the question back in 2017.
The numbers are catastrophic. Marist notes his approval hasn’t cracked 40 percent since last November. The New York Times tracks similar figures: 41 percent approve, 55 percent disapprove. On the economy, 59 percent are unimpressed; on foreign policy, 56 percent disapprove. Trump’s magic touch on national policy? Apparently, gone.
Part of this plunge comes from domestic tragedies. The fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota last month have ignited outrage over Trump’s immigration enforcement. A shocking 65 percent of Americans think ICE “has gone too far”, and 60 percent disapprove of the task force’s overall work.
Trump’s own response? Pulling 700 federal agents from Minnesota and conceding, “I learned that maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch.”
Even his vaunted base is wobbling. According to Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, “Right now, those groups—they’re the ones who deserted.” Latinos, young voters, and independents who once backed Trump are cooling off.”
Yet some hardcore MAGA loyalists still cling to him on headline-grabbing issues: ICE operations, his Venezuela maneuvering, the Greenland flirtation, and his tariffs. But the country at large isn’t buying it. 54 percent of Americans say Trump should stick to kitchen table issues like lowering prices, not grandiose power plays.
Trump’s political troubles are compounded by the optics of his declining approval. The very coalition that once guaranteed him a safe lane through elections is showing cracks. His numbers post-Jan. 6 have finally dipped to their lowest in five years. The combination of public outrage, policy criticism, and a deserting base paints a grim picture: Trump is no longer just polarizing—he’s losing the fight for legitimacy in plain sight.
If these trends continue, Trump may find even his most loyal supporters aren’t enough to shield him. The polls are out, the people have spoken, and the message is brutal: his political glue is dissolving with no quick fix in sight.
