Trump Is a Weak, Failing President. These Brutal New Polls Confirm It. | The New Republic
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Trump Is a Weak, Failing President. These Brutal New Polls Confirm It.

As new national polls show Trump’s approval tanking, a leading analyst explains how the data shows that Trump is far more unpopular than is commonly acknowledged—and details why this matters for 2026.

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What if we told you that Donald Trump is a really unpopular president? Would that surprise you? It’s not something you hear much in the media. Yet in recent days new polls from the Associated Press, Gallup, Quinnipiac, Reuters, and the Economist all show Trump’s approval rating in terrible shape. The polling averages show the same. He’s in the toilet on specific issues, too: On the economy and trade he’s polling in the 30s, and he’s deeply underwater on immigration, his “best” issue. Many of his most dramatic recent moments, from the failed Jimmy Kimmel ouster to the buffoonish indictment of James Comey, have flopped. We talked to Lakshya Jain, co-founder of the data firm Split Ticket and head of political data at The Argument, who’s been explaining that Trump is in a weak position. We talked about what all this new polling data really shows, why the media—and Democrats!—still reflexively assume Trump is “strong,” and what it all means for the 2026 midterms. Listen to this episode here.