President Donald Trump’s approval ratings have become a lightning rod for debate and a focal point of political strategy as August 2025 draws to a close. Polls from major outlets including Gallup, Quinnipiac University, and Reuters/Ipsos reveal a complicated, sometimes contradictory, picture of public opinion—one that’s shaped by partisan loyalty, reaction to policy decisions, and, not least, a swirl of misinformation from political leaders themselves.
According to Gallup, Trump’s approval rating edged up to 40% in August, a modest 3% increase from July’s 37%. The poll, conducted between August 1 and August 20, 2025, also found that Trump’s support remains overwhelmingly partisan: a staggering 93% of Republicans gave him a thumbs-up, compared to 35% of Independents and just 1% of Democrats. On the policy front, the numbers were less rosy—only 37% of Americans approved of his handling of the economy, unchanged from the previous month, and 39% approved of his approach to foreign affairs, down two points from July. A newly introduced topic, education, saw 38% approval.
But those headline numbers only tell part of the story. As reported by The Economic Times, Trump’s recent moves on crime have drawn strong support from the public, especially among Republicans. His decision to deploy the National Guard and federal agents to major cities—a response to widespread concerns about urban crime—has resonated with a significant segment of voters. In fact, 53% of Americans approved of his actions to curb crime, with more than half endorsing the use of federal resources in cities. However, support for even more aggressive federal intervention, such as taking over local police departments, stood at about one-third.
Public anxiety about crime remains high. Two-thirds of Americans now view crime as a serious issue, and 80% believe it’s a major problem in big cities. Yet, this concern is much less pronounced in rural and small-town America, where only one in five see crime as a major issue. The Associated Press noted that these bold steps on crime have been the primary driver behind Trump’s recent bump in approval, even as worries about the economy and foreign policy persist.
Still, not everyone is on board with Trump’s crime-fighting tactics. A recent Quinnipiac University poll, cited by Newsweek, found that while 86% of Republicans support the deployment of the National Guard to Washington D.C., 93% of Democrats strongly oppose it. Among independents, opposition is also significant: 61% disapprove of the policy, while just 34% endorse it. Tim Malloy, a polling analyst at Quinnipiac, summarized the findings: “Posting the National Guard in D.C. to fight local crime gets faint support, with independent voters giving the deployment a big thumbs down.”
On the broader question of Trump’s performance, the same Quinnipiac poll put his overall approval rating at 37%—a 3% decline from the previous month—with 55% disapproving. Trump was underwater on six major issues polled, including crime, foreign policy, the economy, trade, and the Israel-Hamas conflict, with approval ratings below 50% on each. For example, just 42% approved of his handling of crime, compared to 54% who disapproved. On the economy, his numbers were even weaker: 39% approval versus 57% disapproval. The president’s efforts to broker peace in Ukraine and his approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict also drew more disapproval than support.
Despite these unimpressive numbers, a curious phenomenon has emerged among Republican officials and Trump allies. As highlighted by MSNBC and The New York Times, a number of prominent Republicans have taken to publicly exaggerating—or outright fabricating—Trump’s approval ratings. Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida recently declared on Fox News that Trump was “riding high with all-time high approval numbers.” Rep. Darrell Issa of California called reports of low approval “the ultimate in false statements,” insisting, “Trump’s low approval rating? It couldn’t be higher!” Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and former Trump-appointed acting U.S. attorney Alina Habba both claimed Trump’s approval was “soaring” or “skyrocketing,” with Habba asserting it had reached “an all-time high of anyone.” Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio chimed in, saying Trump had “never been more popular.”
Perhaps the most audacious claim came from House Speaker Mike Johnson, who told CNBC that Trump’s approval rating was “skyrocketing,” going so far as to say, “CNN had a story, I think a day or two ago, he was at a 90% approval rating. There’s never been a president that high.” The New York Times’ Jamelle Bouie responded in a column, calling Johnson’s assertion “the kind of falsehood you might hear from authoritarian state media.” Bouie argued that such statements are less about convincing the public and more about signaling loyalty to Trump and keeping the Republican base energized.
So why the disconnect between the numbers and the narrative? Analysts suggest several possible explanations. Some Republican officials may fear the political consequences of contradicting Trump, whose influence over the party remains formidable. Others may believe that projecting strength and popularity—even if it means bending the truth—helps keep supporters motivated and focused. As Bouie observed, “The more some Republican voices endorse nonsensical claims about Trump’s approval rating, the more others in the party pick up on the cues and feel the need to repeat the lie.”
Meanwhile, the American public remains divided not just on Trump’s policies, but on the very perception of his leadership. Republicans, by and large, continue to back the president with near-unanimous loyalty, while Democrats remain almost uniformly opposed. Independents, often the deciding factor in national elections, are more skeptical—particularly when it comes to controversial policies like deploying the National Guard or federalizing local policing.
On the issues that matter most—crime, the economy, foreign policy, and education—Trump’s approval ratings remain stubbornly below 50%. While his tough-on-crime stance has provided a short-term boost, especially among his base, lingering doubts about his handling of the economy and world affairs persist. And as the 2025 political season heats up, the gap between partisan rhetoric and public opinion shows little sign of narrowing.
In the end, the story of Trump’s approval ratings in August 2025 is one of contrasts: between perception and reality, between party loyalty and broader public sentiment, and between the numbers cited by pollsters and those trumpeted by party loyalists. As the nation looks ahead to the next chapter, the battle over the narrative—and the numbers—shows no sign of letting up.
