Kathrine Frich
Public confidence in how President Donald Trump runs the U.S. government is slipping sharply, including among his own supporters.
A new nationwide survey shows that frustration over the record-long government shutdown and recent turmoil in federal agencies is taking a toll on Trump’s standing with voters.
Support in decline
According to a poll conducted by the Associated Press–NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, only 33% of American adults now approve of the way Trump is managing the government, a 10-point drop since March.
The poll, carried out after Democrats’ strong midterm election performance but before Congress began addressing the prolonged shutdown, reflects a growing sense of fatigue among the electorate, The Boston Globe reported.
Republican backing for Trump’s handling of the government fell notably, from 81% in March to 68% in the latest survey. Among independents, approval dropped from 38% to just 25%.
Widespread disapproval
The poll also found that Democratic opposition remains nearly unanimous: 95% of Democrats disapprove of how Trump is steering the government, up from 89% earlier this year.
Analysts say these figures underscore deepening polarization, but also suggest frustration across party lines over Washington’s failure to function amid political brinkmanship.
The president has sought to place blame for the shutdown on congressional Democrats, but the survey shows that most Americans share responsibility between both parties.
The budget standoff has halted air travel operations, delayed pay for hundreds of thousands of federal workers, and disrupted food aid programs for low-income families.
Broader dissatisfaction
Beyond the immediate effects of the shutdown, the findings hint at a wider unease with the sweeping changes Trump has made across the federal bureaucracy in recent months, including agency restructurings and mass layoffs that have unsettled Washington.
The declining approval numbers, researchers say, reflect a population weary of the uncertainty surrounding government operations and the deep divisions that continue to define Trump’s second term in office.
Sources: AP-NORC, The Boston Globe, Digi24, Reuters
This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, who may have used AI in the preparation
