Donald Trump job approval drops to 34% in Pew Research Center poll

The numbers represent a decline in the president’s standing over several months. According to a Pew Research Center survey of 5,103 U.S. adults conducted from April 20 to 26, 2026, the president is losing ground not only in overall job performance but in the perception of specific personal traits.

The erosion of the ‘promise-keeping’ brand

One of the most visible declines is found in how Americans perceive the president’s reliability. The share of the population that says Trump keeps his promises now stands at 38%. This is a significant drop from 43% in August and 51% shortly after his reelection in November 2024.

This shift in perception is echoed in the public’s confidence in his ability to manage specific policy areas. Confidence in his decision-making on immigration policy has fallen to 41%, down from 53% following the 2024 election. Similarly, only 38% of respondents now express confidence in the president to use military force wisely, compared to 46% last summer.

While most Americans still view the president as someone who stands up for his beliefs—64% say this describes him well—that figure has also dipped from 68% last summer. The data indicates that various metrics of the president’s perceived strengths have seen a downward trend.

Cost of living and the ‘broken’ scale

While the Pew data shows a general decline, separate polling suggests a more acute crisis regarding the economy. A Strength in Numbers/Verasight poll conducted in April found that approval regarding inflation/cost of living has plummeted so sharply it exceeded the parameters of the pollster’s tracking tool.

For more on this story, see Trump Courts Joe Rogan With Psychedelic Drug Executive Order.

Pollster G. Elliot Morris noted that Trump literally broke the scale of this graph on my data portal, with the cost-of-living metric falling below every other category, including deportations and healthcare. As of April 30, Trump’s approval rating on this specific issue stood at negative 40.3 points.

This decline appears linked to the economic fallout of the ongoing conflict in Iran. According to The Daily Beast, the plunge began around March 13, two weeks after the start of the war. The conflict has coincided with record-high gas prices, which reached a nationwide average of $4.30 a gallon on Thursday, according to AAA.

The financial stakes of the military intervention are high. Reporting indicates the conflict is costing U.S. taxpayers almost $900 million a day. This economic pressure has translated into a sense of betrayal among some of the president’s original 2024 supporters.

“I feel betrayed, like he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing… It’s like high school class president: ‘I’m gonna promise we are going to get pizza every single day,’ Then as soon as they get elected, they are like, ‘Oh, I lied.’” Kathryn Bright, retired U.S. Air Force captain

Perceptions of mental sharpness and stability

Beyond policy and economics, the president’s personal image is facing new pressures. The Pew Research Center found that the percentage of Americans who describe Trump as mentally sharp has declined to 44%, down from 48% last August.

This dip in perceived acuity comes as the administration manages a complex military situation. The intervention in Iran, initially presented as a regime-change operation, has evolved into an expanding war that has led to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz shipping route. These geopolitical shifts are occurring alongside the volatility seen in the president’s approval ratings.

Interestingly, confidence in the president’s economic policy has remained more stable than other metrics. Pew reports that 42% express confidence in his economic decisions today, compared to 44% in August. Despite this relative stability, the economy remains an area where fewer Americans are confident in the president than not.

The shift from 2024 peaks

The current data highlights the difference between the period following the November 2024 election and the situation in May 2026. The president’s current 34% job approval is the lowest of his second term, marking a departure from the momentum seen during his transition back into office.

The data shows a decline across job approval, personal traits, and policy confidence. The most significant losses are concentrated in the areas of perceived honesty—specifically the promise-keeping metric—and the immediate financial pressures facing American households.

As the administration continues its operations in Iran and attempts to stabilize the cost of living, the focus will be on whether these numbers continue to slide or if the president can recover the trust of the Republican base, which has already shown a measurable decline in support since the start of the year.