President Donald Trump’s job approval rating has dropped to a new low for his second term, according to findings from the latest Marquette University Law School poll. The survey highlights mounting challenges for the administration as public support deteriorates across several core policy areas and Democrats build significant momentum ahead of the upcoming November midterm elections.
The survey, made public on Tuesday, Sept. 15, reveals that only 37% of American adults approve of Trump’s overall job performance. This figure represents a three-percentage-point decrease from Marquette’s previous survey conducted in July, marking the lowest approval measurement recorded by the institution since Trump returned to the White House in early 2025. Prior to this latest release, his lowest rating in Marquette’s tracking was recorded in June, when his approval stood at 38%.
Beyond the headline decline, the poll indicates a substantial contraction in the president’s most dedicated base of support. At the start of his second term, 29% of respondents reported that they strongly approved of Trump’s performance in office. In the latest survey, that enthusiastic support has fallen steadily to just 15%, demonstrating that the intensity of backing among his core constituency has weakened considerably over time.
The Marquette University Law School survey was administered from Sept. 2 through Sept. 9, sampling 1,023 adults nationwide. The research team noted a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points, underscoring that the downward shift in public approval reflects broader national dissatisfaction.
This downward trajectory for the president appears to be creating severe political headwinds for his party as the battle for Capitol Hill intensifies. The survey indicates that Democrats have expanded their position to capture control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the approaching midterm elections.
When measured on a generic congressional ballot, Democrats have established a 13-percentage-point advantage over Republicans among likely voters. This margin marks a significant seven-point improvement for the Democratic Party compared to July, when their lead in the generic ballot stood at six percentage points.
The shift in legislative preference reflects both rising support for the opposition and declining confidence in the incumbent party. Republican support on the generic congressional ballot fell by four percentage points relative to July’s findings, illustrating the growing difficulty GOP candidates face in maintaining their standing with voters.
A similar pattern emerged among registered voters, where Democrats currently hold a comfortable 12-percentage-point lead. The shift within this wider electorate was even more pronounced than among likely voters, as Democrats previously held a narrow two-point edge over Republicans in July’s Marquette measurement.
The erosion of the president's political standing is underscored by declining approval ratings across eight specific policy areas compared to the July survey. Voters expressed diminished satisfaction with Trump's handling of foreign policy, tariffs, the broader economy, the war with Iran, border security, immigration, inflation, and gas prices.
Notably, the decline impacted policy areas that have traditionally served as key political strengths for Trump. Approval of his management of border security fell below the 50% threshold, while his marks on immigration policy also suffered setbacks compared to earlier polling periods.
Economic issues presented some of the most critical vulnerabilities for the administration in the survey. Only 19% of respondents expressed approval of Trump’s handling of inflation and the rising cost of living, while just 20% approved of his approach to gas prices, reflecting acute public frustration with kitchen-table economic pressures.
The negative findings from Marquette follow a brief moment of positive momentum earlier in the week. A Reuters/Ipsos survey released on Monday, Sept. 14, showed Trump’s approval rating edging upward by two percentage points to reach 35%.
That modest increase in the Reuters/Ipsos tracking provided a minor reprieve after three consecutive weeks in which the president registered the lowest approval figures recorded by that outlet since his second term began in 2025. However, that slight uptick failed to improve the GOP’s legislative outlook; the same Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Republicans trailing Democrats by seven percentage points on the generic congressional ballot, marking the widest congressional gap of Trump's second term in their tracking.
Broader national tracking averages further confirm that the president remains significantly underwater with the American public. Leading aggregators compiling national polling data as of Sept. 16 consistently show substantial disapproval margins regarding his administration.
According to RealClearPolitics, Trump’s average job approval stood at 40%, with 57.8% expressing disapproval. The New York Times polling average similarly placed his approval at 39% against 58% disapproval, while the Silver Bulletin recorded a 38.4% approval rating and a 58.5% disapproval rating.
Together, the polling metrics illustrate widespread voter unease across economic, domestic, and foreign issues, leaving the administration and congressional Republicans facing an increasingly challenging political landscape heading into the midterm elections.
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