Trump's approval rating on immigration and government spending has
slipped, new AP-NORC poll finds
[July 18, 2025]
By STEVE PEOPLES and LINLEY SANDERS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Only about one-quarter of U.S. adults say that
President Donald Trump's policies have helped them since he took office,
according to a new poll that finds underwhelming marks for him on key
issues, including the economy, immigration, government spending and
health care.
In fact, the Republican president fails to earn majority approval on any
of the issues included in the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center
for Public Affairs Research. He's even slipped slightly since earlier
this year on immigration, which has consistently been a strength for him
in his second term.
And while a majority of Americans do see Trump as at least “somewhat”
capable of getting things done following the passage of his sprawling
budget bill, fewer believe he understands the problems facing people
like them.
Most don't see positive impact from Trump's policies
Roughly half of U.S. adults report that Trump’s policies have “done more
to hurt” them since his second term began six months ago, the survey
found. About 2 in 10 say his policies have “not made a difference” in
their lives, with about one-quarter saying his policies have "done more
to help” them.
The vast majority of Democrats and about half of independents say
Trump’s policies have had a negative impact, while even many Republicans
say they haven't seen positive effects.
“As it sits today, I don’t know his policies have made much of a
difference in my day-to-day life,” said Landon Lindemer, a 29-year-old
logistics manager from suburban Atlanta who voted for Trump three times.
Lindemer said he generally approves of Trump's job performance, even if
he has concerns about the massive spending in the big bill the president
signed into law on July 4.
“I’m not sold it’s really going to help," he said.
Low but steady presidential approval ratings
The mixed reviews on Trump's policies come as he struggles to follow
through on key campaign promises, including lowering costs for
working-class Americans, preserving popular social welfare programs like
Medicaid, ending foreign wars and lowering government spending.
Inflation rose last month to its highest level since February as Trump’s
sweeping tariffs push up the cost of everything from groceries and
clothes to furniture and appliances. Separately, Trump’s budget bill
included Medicaid cuts that will lead to 11.8 million more Americans
becoming uninsured and add $3.3 trillion to the national debt, the
Congressional Budget Office estimated.
At the same time, violent conflicts still rage in Israel and Ukraine.
Overall, the new poll finds that about 4 in 10 U.S. adults approve of
Trump's job performance, a figure that's in line with his June approval
but historically weak compared with recent presidents. Closer to half of
U.S. adults approved of President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama
at roughly the same point in their Democratic presidencies, according to
polls from AP-NORC and Gallup, although Biden's approval rating declined
in the second half of his first year and remained low for the rest of
his time in office.
Poll respondent Bailey Neill, a 42-year-old attorney from San Antonio,
said he was “terrified” of Trump.
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President Donald Trump holds his signed his signature bill of tax
breaks and spending cuts at the White House, Friday, July 4, 2025,
in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Neill, a Democrat who describes himself as a “student of history,”
cast Trump as an authoritarian who has followed the controversial
playbook outlined in Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for
transformative changes across the federal government that Trump
tried to distance himself from before the November election.
“In terms of my day-to-day life, I really haven’t seen a change,
except for the general fear and anxiety I feel at a core level,”
Neill said.
Most disapprove of Trump's handling of immigration, economy and
more
Trump earned less than 50% approval on every issue included in the
new AP-NORC poll, including the economy, government spending, trade,
taxes, immigration, health care and his handling of the conflict in
the Middle East.
Only 43% of U.S. adults said they approved of his handling of
immigration, down slightly from the 49% who supported his work on
the issue back in March.
Trump also appears to have lost some support for his spending
decisions. About 4 in 10 Americans approve of Trump's handling of
government spending, down from 46% in March.
On the economy overall, roughly 4 in 10 adults approve of Trump's
performance, which hasn't changed measurably in the last few months.
Timothy Dwyer, of Dyersburg, Tennessee, a 26-year-old self-described
independent who works in retail sales and leans Republican, said
Trump's work on the economy, especially his tariffs, has “really
sucked.”
“He’s turned us into a toilet and has absolutely made us the
laughing stock of the world,” Dwyer said of Trump's trade policies,
while also lamenting the president's work on reducing grocery prices
and health care.
Most view Trump as effective, but fewer think he understands
their needs
Despite such criticism, most U.S. adults think Trump is at least
somewhat effective.
About 6 in 10 say “capable of getting things done” describes Trump
at least “somewhat” well. And about half of U.S. adults say the same
about the phrases “good negotiator” or “capable of handling a
crisis."
That doesn't mean they believe Trump can see things from their
perspective.
Most Americans, 56%, say “understands the problems facing people
like you” is a phrase that describes Trump “not very well” or “not
well at all.” His numbers on the question are relatively weak even
among those in his party: Just about half of Republicans say he
understands the problems facing people like them “extremely” or
“very” well.
“I think he’s doing quite well. He could be doing a hell of a lot
worse,” said poll respondent Levi Fischer, of Marshalltown, Iowa,
who voted for Trump three times.
Still, Fischer acknowledged that he hasn't seen the economy improve
as quickly as he hoped. Trump's policies, he said, “don't make much
difference in my life.”
___
Peoples reported from New York.
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