A Majority of Americans View Trump’s First Year as a Failure, Polls Show
A Majority of Americans View Trump’s First Year as a Failure, Polls Show
Most surveys show Trump’s net approval rating in the negatives — and by double digits.
By
President Donald Trump, speaking as a candidate in 2016 in Farmington, New Hampshire.
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Polling data from multiple sources shows that a majority of Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump’s performance in the first year of his return to the White House, with one poll demonstrating that nearly 6 in 10 Americans believe Trump’s second term is already a failure.
A CNN/SSRS poll published on Friday shows that Trump’s approval rating was at a net -22 points, with only 39 percent approving of his performance over the past year and 61 percent disapproving. That’s a swing of 18 points since polling from February, when his net rating was just -4 points.
Among those disapproving of Trump’s job performance, three-quarters said they “strongly disapproved,” amounting to nearly 1 in 2 of the survey’s respondents (46 percent).
Overall, 58 percent of Americans deemed Trump’s first year back in the Oval Office as a failure. Ninety-two percent of liberal respondents said they viewed his time back so far as such, while 65 percent of moderates also described Trump’s first year that way. And while conservative respondents largely viewed the president’s first year positively, a quarter of those respondents (24 percent) said Trump’s first year was mired in failures.
Additional polls also found immense dissatisfaction with Trump since he returned to Washington one year ago.
An Economist/YouGov poll published on Tuesday shows that Trump has a net -20-point approval rating, with 57 percent of Americans disapproving of his job performance, including 1 in 6 Trump 2024 voters (16 percent). Only 37 percent of the Americans surveyed approved of his job performance.
Trump is also faring poorly on key issues he campaigned on, the survey found. On crime, Trump has a -7-point net rating, while on immigration, his number stands at -10 points. On taming inflation, Trump has a -27-point rating.
The survey also asked respondents whether or not certain terms accurately described Trump. Only 32 percent said Trump was honest or trustworthy, the Economist/YouGov poll found. Meanwhile, 53 percent said they feel his words are dangerous, while only 18 percent said they are not.
A recent Associated Press/NORC poll similarly shows Trump’s approval ratings deep underwater, with 59 percent of Americans in the survey disapproving of his performance and only 40 percent approving.
Americans also gave Trump noticeable failing grades on specific topics. On the economy, he received 37 percent approval, with 62 percent disapproval. On immigration, just 38 percent approved of Trump’s performance, while 61 percent disapproved. And on foreign policy, Trump saw a similar rating, with 37 percent approving of his performance and 61 percent disapproving.
Chris Walker
A newly published Quinnipiac University poll was slightly more generous toward Trump, but still demonstrated strong disapproval among the electorate, with 54 percent of Americans disapproving of Trump’s handling of the presidency while only 40 percent approved.
Thirty-eight percent of Americans said the U.S. is on the “right track,” that survey showed, while 56 percent viewed the country as heading in the “wrong direction.”
The Quinnipiac poll also asked respondents their feelings toward several Trump administration officials — none of whom received net positive ratings. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a net -3-point approval rating, for instance, while Vice President J.D. Vance received a -7-point score. Adviser Stephen Miller received a -10-point rating, and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. got a -11-point grade. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth received a -9-point score.
The polling data, consistent across numerous recently-conducted surveys, indicates that a majority of Americans are unhappy with the direction that Trump has taken the country over the past year. Indeed, the recent polling data represents one of the widest spreads of disapproval ratings Trump has seen since taking office again, and rivals his negative standing in January 2021, when he was departing office after the expiration of his first term — and just after a mob of loyalists, at his direction, descended upon the U.S. Capitol and violently overtook the building as Congress was affirming his 2020 presidential election loss.
Trump doesn’t appear to be halting any of his unpopular ideas anytime soon, including his push for annexing Greenland, expanding his controversial tariffs on imported goods, and more — which could have a profound impact on the outcomes of the 2026 congressional midterm elections.
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Trump Signs Order Expediting Drugs for Mental Health Treatment
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Saturday that he said “directs the FDA to expedite their review of certain psychedelics already designated as breakthrough therapy drugs.” A primary objective of the order is to speed treatment for veterans.
“The executive order I’m signing, we’re actually signing the executive order today, is really a moment,” Trump said. “These treatments are currently in the advanced stages of clinical trials to ensure that they’re both safe and effective for the American patients.”
The president said the executive order would implement “historic reforms to dramatically accelerate access to new medical research and treatments based on psychedelic drugs.” Citing the elevated veteran suicide rate, the president added: “In many cases, these experimental treatments have shown life-changing potential for those suffering from severe mental illness and depression, including our cherished veterans.”
“And the nice part is we’re actually doing this early, but it has been going on. Research has been going on for quite some time. But, you know, usually with things like this, nothing ever happens, no matter how the research ends up, but we’re changing that. This order will clear away unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles, improve data sharing among the FDA and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and facilitate fast rescheduling of any psychedelic drugs that become FDA approved,” Trump continued.
The president said “in 2024, a study from Stanford University, 30 special operation veterans with traumatic brain injuries underwent — it’s called ibogaine treatment — ibogaine, remember the name,” noting that they “experienced an 80 to 90% reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety within one month.”
“In Texas, Republican leaders have already committed $50 million to the ibogaine research. And today, the federal government is making a $50 million research investment in its own. And so that was just approved just last night,” Trump announced.
“We’re also opening a pathway for ibogaine to be administered to desperately ill patients under the right to try law,” Trump said.
“Today’s order will ensure that people suffering from debilitating symptoms might finally have a chance to reclaim their lives and lead a happier life, just lead a happier life,” he added.
Two weeks ago, Trump signed a sweeping executive order aimed at tightening federal oversight of election integrity, directing multiple agencies to expand voter eligibility verification and impose new controls on mail-in ballots.
The order, titled “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections,” outlines a series of measures that would increase coordination between federal agencies and state election officials, while also establishing new procedures for how ballots are distributed and tracked through the mail system.
At the core of the directive is a requirement that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), working with the Social Security Administration (SSA), compile and transmit lists of individuals confirmed to be U.S. citizens to state election authorities. These “State Citizenship Lists” would be generated using federal databases, including immigration and Social Security records, and updated regularly ahead of federal elections.
According to the order, the lists are intended to help states verify voter eligibility, though inclusion on the list would not automatically register an individual to vote. State laws and procedures would still govern registration requirements.
The order also calls for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to prioritize investigations and potential prosecutions related to election law violations. This includes cases involving the distribution of ballots to individuals deemed ineligible to vote, as well as any actors—public or private—who may be involved in producing or sending such ballots.
In a significant expansion of federal involvement in mail voting procedures, the directive instructs the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to develop new rules governing the handling of mail-in and absentee ballots. Within 60 days, the Postmaster General is required to initiate a rulemaking process that would standardize ballot tracking and verification measures nationwide.
Under the proposed framework, all mail-in ballots would be required to use specially marked envelopes designated as official election mail. These envelopes must include unique tracking barcodes and meet specific design standards set by USPS to ensure compatibility with automated processing systems.
Trump Says He’s in No Hurry to Make Deal With Iran
The president gave an update on negotiations between Washington and Tehran in a weekend interview.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on March 26, 2026 in Washington. This is Trump's second Cabinet meeting of 2026 and the first since the United States and Israel began attacking Iran on Feb. 28, 2026. Chip Somodevilla/Getty U.S. President Donald Trump, in an interview published on May 30, said that he is in no hurry to make a deal with Iran to end the war, saying that neither Washington nor Tehran has signed an agreement yet.
“I’d like to say I’m in a hurry because gasoline prices are going to come tumbling down, but if you’re going to be in a hurry, you’re not going to make a good deal,” Trump told Fox News. “And slowly but surely we’re getting, I think, what we want, and if we don’t get what we want, we’re going to end it a different way.”
For weeks, the United States and Iran have been working to come to an agreement that would end the war, which started in February, as the conflict remains in a ceasefire. On May 29, Trump released the terms of a deal with Tehran and said he would be making a final decision soon.
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Along with demanding that Iran not obtain a nuclear weapon, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the Strait of Hormuz must be opened “in both directions” and that Tehran must “complete the immediate removal and/or detonation of any mines that are left.”
Since the start of the conflict, the strait has effectively remained shut down, sending oil and gas prices surging, as the strait allows for the transit of about a fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas. As of May 31, gas prices in the United States averaged $4.34 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association.
A White House official told The Epoch Times on May 29 that a White House meeting in the Situation Room on Iran lasted approximately two hours. No details were provided.
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Iran on May 31 claimed that the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) shot down a U.S. military drone that entered its airspace, in comments carried by state-run Tasnim News. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has not publicly commented on the incident.
A top Iranian official, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also said on May 31 that Tehran’s military force is “pushing back the enemy in a great and history-making war,” referring to the United States, according to state-run media. He also claimed that the United States has retreated from the conflict while pushing a narrative of unity in the Iranian regime.
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In his May 29 post on Truth Social, Trump also wrote that mines would be removed from the strait and that ships trapped there may start to go home.
“Say HELLO to your wives, husbands, parents, and families from me, your favorite President!” he said.
On May 30, War Department Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States would restart attacks against Iran if no deal can be reached and that the military’s ammunition stockpiles are being replenished.
“Our ability to recommence if necessary ... we are more than capable,” Hegseth told reporters in Singapore. “Our stockpiles are more than suited for that, both there and around the globe, so we’re in a very good place.”
The Pentagon head said that Trump was “patient” and that the president wants to make a “great deal” that ensures that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.
Reuters contributed to this report.
