President Donald Trump’s approval rating has plummeted to a new low, marking the lowest point of his second term and the second-lowest across both his presidencies, according to a recent Gallup poll. The survey, conducted from November 3 to November 25, 2025, and released at the end of November, paints a stark picture of a presidency struggling to maintain support amid political turbulence and public dissatisfaction.
The numbers are striking: only 36 percent of Americans currently approve of Trump’s job performance, while a substantial 60 percent disapprove. This five-point drop from October, when approval hovered at 41 percent, signals a significant erosion of public confidence. Notably, this rating is just two points above Trump’s all-time low of 34 percent, which he hit in January 2021 following the Capitol attack that concluded his first term, as detailed by Gallup and reported by USA TODAY and The Hill.
What’s driving this decline? The poll’s timing coincided with a particularly challenging stretch for the administration: the federal government endured its longest shutdown in U.S. history, lasting 43 days and finally ending on November 12. During this turbulent period, Democrats made gains in the November 5 elections, a development that pollsters say has further dented Trump’s standing. According to Gallup, "The longest shutdown of the federal government, election losses for the Republican Party and continued concerns about affordability appear to have damaged Trump’s standing with the American people in November, especially Republicans and independents."
Perhaps most concerning for the president is the erosion of support within his own party. Republican approval dropped by seven points since late October, falling to 84 percent—the lowest of Trump’s second term. Independents’ support has also plummeted, from 33 percent in October to just 25 percent in November, marking the lowest point for this group across both of Trump’s terms. Democrats’ approval remains mired in the low single digits, at just 3 percent.
When the numbers are broken down by issue, the president fares slightly better in some areas but still faces broad disapproval. Trump’s highest marks come on crime (43 percent approval), foreign affairs (41 percent), and trade (39 percent). However, his handling of immigration (37 percent), the economy (36 percent), and especially health care (30 percent) receive far lower grades. Gallup researchers noted, "Each of the current ratings is in line with the prior ones, but there has been a significant erosion in approval since February for Trump’s handling of immigration (-9 points), the situation in the Middle East (-7 points) and the economy (-6 points). Since March, Trump’s ratings have declined by double digits on the federal budget (-12 points) and the situation in Ukraine (-10 points)."
On the foreign policy front, the numbers are equally sobering. Trump’s approval for handling Israel’s war against Hamas stands at 33 percent, while only 31 percent approve of his response to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. These figures suggest that even on issues that have historically rallied his base, Trump is struggling to maintain support.
The broader polling landscape echoes Gallup’s findings. The New York Times aggregate, which compiles data from multiple polling organizations, showed Trump’s approval at 41 percent and disapproval at 56 percent as of November 29, 2025. The RealClearPolitics Poll Average reflected a similar trend, with approval dipping to a low of 42.3 percent in mid-November.
It’s not just the numbers that tell the story; the public mood is shifting. The decline in approval comes as Americans continue to grapple with high prices and economic uncertainty—a persistent thorn in the administration’s side. The president’s attempts to reframe the affordability crisis as a "con job by the Democrats" have not stemmed the tide of discontent. In fact, rising costs were a central issue in the November elections that saw Democratic victories across several states.
Some of Trump’s supporters are beginning to waver. Gray Holland, a 24-year-old sales representative from Birmingham, Alabama, who voted for Trump in the last presidential election, told USA TODAY, "We need to focus on America first and what we have going on our own turf … that's what Trump campaigned on, and I haven't seen too much of it." Holland cited continued high costs, financial aid for Israel, and the failure to fully release investigative files related to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein as reasons for his disillusionment.
But not all former supporters are abandoning ship. Justin Fernandez, a registered Democrat from Ohio who has voted for Trump in all three presidential elections, offered a more forgiving perspective: "I don't agree with everything he does, and I don't like him acting like a high school kid online, but overall he's had the best ideas, and he's willing to try different things. And, you know, every president fails and succeeds in some ways."
The president’s combative style has also drawn renewed scrutiny. Earlier this month, Trump lashed out at reporters, telling an ABC News journalist, "Quiet, piggy," when questioned about the Justice Department’s release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein. After the tragic shooting of two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C. on November 27—which claimed the life of Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom—Trump repeatedly called a female reporter "a stupid person" when she pressed him about the vetting of the Afghan man accused in the attack.
These outbursts, coupled with the administration’s challenges at home and abroad, have contributed to the sense of a presidency under siege. Gallup’s researchers suggest that the combination of declining approval and Republican losses in the 2025 elections "could be a sign of trouble for Republicans in next year’s midterm elections, when the GOP will try to maintain full control of the federal government."
The Gallup poll was conducted with 1,321 respondents and carries a margin of error of four percentage points. Its findings, released on November 29, 2025, have reverberated across the political spectrum and fueled debate about the future of Trump’s presidency and the Republican Party’s prospects in the coming year.
As the nation heads into another election season, the president faces a daunting task: rebuilding trust, addressing persistent economic anxiety, and navigating a polarized political landscape. Whether Trump can reverse his fortunes remains to be seen, but for now, the numbers speak for themselves.
