Poll: Slim majority of Americans unhappy with Trump’s job performance, economy

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(The Center Square) – More registered voters disapprove of President Donald Trump’s job performance thus far into his second term than approve, according to a new The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll.

Of the 2,659 registered voters surveyed nationally, 52% disapprove of his job performance, while 46% approve. 

And while the president’s approval rating remains high among Republicans – and reaches nearly 90% among those who voted for him in the most recent presidential election – the president isn’t performing well among true independents. True independents are registered independents who don’t lean Republican or Democrat, and are often considered the deciding factor in elections. Sixty-five percent of true independents are unhappy with Trump’s performance, with just 24% approving and 7% indicating they strongly approve. 

The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll was conducted by Noble Predictive Insights between March 2-5, 2026. The poll sample included 2,659 respondents, comprised of 952 Republicans, 934 Democrats, and 773 Independents, of which 330 are True Independents, which Noble Predictive refers to as independents who, when asked if they leaned toward one of the major parties, chose neither. It is among the most comprehensive tracking polls in the country.

Respondents were also asked separately whether they approved or disapproved of the president’s handling of the economy.

As the economy remains the top issue for voters, responses typically differed by 3% or less, if at all, from Trump’s approval overall. For example, 54% of men polled approved of Trump’s performance so far, compared to just 39% of women. When asked solely about the economy, the percentage for men remained the same, and the percentage of women dipped slightly to 36%.

When it comes to respondents’ level of education, Trump polled best on the economy among those with a post-graduate degree – though the difference between groups was only slight – with 48% indicating they approved. He polled five points lower with college graduates at 43% and four points lower with those who had completed some college or less, at 44%. 

He polled higher with whites than with hispanics, latinos or blacks and lower with suburban and urban voters than rural voters, both on the economy and overall. Regionally, the South showed the strongest support for the president, with 50% indicating they approved of his job performance. His approval rating across the West, Midwest and Northeast was virtually the same, at 43%, 44% and 44%. 

The president’s overall approval ratings for job performance and the economy remain virtually unchanged from about a year ago when the same questions were posed to 2,500 voters in a Voters’ Voice Poll.

The poll’s margin of error is +/- 1.9%.