Trump's Approval Craters to 38%
Trump's approval rating has plummeted to 38% with a brutal -21 net rating, as 51% strongly disapprove amid mounting ICE fallout and strained US-Europe ties over Greenland. The Supreme Court blocked his tariff powers while midterm elections loom in November. Political observers predict the chaos could hand Democrats both House and Senate majorities.
A president's approval rating is a significant predictor of their party's performance in midterm elections. Historically, the party in power almost always loses seats, and a low approval rating for the president tends to exacerbate these losses. The upcoming November elections will involve all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 seats in the Senate, making control of Congress a key issue. Donald Trump's average approval rating during his first term was 41%, the lowest for any president since Gallup began polling on the question in 1945. At no point during his first term did his approval rating reach 50%. His approval ratings in the first eight months of both his first and second terms were lower than any other modern president during the same period. The recent Supreme Court decision struck down tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), ruling 6-3 that the act does not grant the president the authority to impose tariffs unilaterally. Chief Justice John Roberts, in the majority opinion, stated that the power to tax, including tariffs, belongs to Congress. This decision invalidates emergency tariff programs implemented under IEEPA and could lead to refunds for tariffs already collected. Public disapproval of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been growing. Recent polling shows that a majority of Americans disapprove of the agency's actions, with a significant number believing the agency has gone too far in its enforcement of immigration laws. This sentiment is sharply divided along party lines, with a majority of Democrats and independents disapproving, while most Republicans approve of ICE's work. Tensions with European allies, particularly Denmark, have been strained over the United States' expressed interest in acquiring Greenland. The U.S. has had a strategic interest in Greenland since World War II and established military bases there under a 1951 agreement with Denmark. While the U.S. has historically recognized Danish sovereignty over the territory, recent overtures have created a diplomatic crisis.
