FOR RELEASE January 29, 2026 Confidence in Trump Dips, and Fewer Now Say They Support His Policies and Plans Rising share of Democrats want their party’s congressional leaders to stand up to Trump BY Hannah Hartig and Jocelyn Kiley FOR MEDIA OR OTHER INQUIRIES: Jocelyn Kiley, Director of Political Research Steven Shepard, Associate Director of Political Research Nida Asheer, Senior Communications Manager 202.419.4372 www.pewresearch.org RECOMMENDED CITATION Pew Research Center, January 2026, “Confidence in Trump dips, and fewer now say they support his policies and plans” 1 PEW RESEARCH CENTER About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It does not take policy positions. The Center conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, computational social science research and other data-driven research. It studies politics and policy; news habits and media; the internet and technology; religion; race and ethnicity; international affairs; social, demographic and economic trends; science; research methodology and data science; and immigration and migration. Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder. © Pew Research Center 2026 www.pewresearch.org 2 PEW RESEARCH CENTER About this research This Pew Research Center report looks at how the U.S. public feels about Trump’s job performance, their expectations for his administration, and their views about whether congressional leaders should work with each other and the president. Why did we do this? Pew Research Center conducted this research to check in on how the public is feeling about the Trump administration. It is part of our regular work to understand how Americans feel about the policies, actions and events that occur during the presidency – as well as to understand how Americans feel about current events. Our research on presidents dates back to the 1980s, and has continued through the current Trump administration. Learn more about Pew Research Center and our politics research. How did we do this? We conducted a survey from January 20 through January 26, 2026 among 8,512 U.S. adults recruited through our American Trends panel. Here are the survey questions used for this report, the detailed responses and the survey methodology. www.pewresearch.org 3 PEW RESEARCH CENTER Confidence in Trump dips, a they support his policies and plans Rising share of Democrats want their party to stand up to Trump nd fewer now say ’s congressional leaders By Hannah Hartig and Jocelyn Kiley A year into his second administration, Americans’ views of President Donald Trump – already more negative than positive – have continued to slip. Half of Americans say Trump’s actions have been worse than they expected % who ___ of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president ▪ Trump’s approval rating stands at 37%, down from 40% in the fall. Approve Disapprove 37 61 ▪ By more than two-to-one, Americans say the administration’s actions have been worse than they expected (50%) rather than better (21%). ▪ Only about a quarter of Americans today (27%) say they support all or most of Trump’s policies and plans, down from 35% when he returned to office last year. That change has come entirely among Republicans. % who say the Trump administration’s actions since taking office last year have been ___ expected Better than About as Worse than 21 28 50 % who support ___ of Donald Trump’s policies and plans All/Most Some Few/None 27 20 52 A new Pew Research Center survey of 8,512 U.S. adults, conducted Jan. 20-26, also finds that – across six key qualities and abilities needed to serve as president – more Americans express little or no confidence in Trump than say they are extremely or very confident in him. PEW RESEARCH CENTER Note: No answer responses are not shown. Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 20-26, 2026. Confidence is down on all six measures since last year, particularly among Republicans. Related: How Americans See Immigration Officers’ Behaviors and Civilian Actions www.pewresearch.org 4 PEW RESEARCH CENTER Trump’s qualities and abilities as president Today, 34% of Americans say they are extremely or very confident that Trump has the leadership skills needed to serve as president. A larger share (51%) are not too or not at all confident. Another 14% are somewhat confident. Similarly, about half say they are not too or not at all confident Trump has the mental fitness (52%) or physical fitness (50%) to do the job. Roughly three-in-ten express confidence on these measures. Many Americans lack confidence in Trump on several measures, including his ethics in office % who say, thinking about the qualities needed to serve as president, they are ___ confident that Donald Trump … No answer responses are not shown. Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 20-26, 2026. PEW RESEARCH CENTER Even fewer say they are confident that Trump respects the country’s democratic values (25% are extremely or very confident) or that he picks good advisers (25%). Americans express the least amount of confidence in Trump to act ethically in office. Just 21% are extremely or very confident he does this, while 60% express little or no confidence. www.pewresearch.org While overall confidence in Trump’s ethics in office was already relatively low last February (29%), it has declined 8 percentage points since. And nearly all of that drop has come among Republicans: At the beginning of Trump’s second term, a 55% majority of Republicans and Republican- leaning independents said they were confident that Trump acts ethically in office, but that share now stands at 42%. 5 PEW RESEARCH CENTER Republican confidence in Trump to respect country’s democratic values, act ethically in office declines % who say, thinking about the qualities needed to serve as president, they are extremely/very confident that Donald Trump … Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 20-26, 2026. PEW RESEARCH CENTER There’s a similar pattern across all six qualities we asked about. For example, 60% of Republicans said last February that they were extremely or very confident Trump respects the country’s democratic values – it’s 52% today. And while 66% of Republicans say he has the mental fitness to do the job, that’s down from three-quarters last year. Democrats’ confidence in Trump on these measures remains very low. For full trend on each of the qualities asked on the survey, refer to chart appendix. www.pewresearch.org 6 PEW RESEARCH CENTER Support for Trump’s policies There has also been a significant decline over the last year in the share of adults who say they agree with Trump’s plans and policies. Republican support for Trump’s agenda has declined over the last year % who say they support all/most of Donald Trump’s plans and policies ▪ Last year, 35% said they supported all or most of his plans, 17% supported some of them and 47% supported only a few or none. ▪ Today, 27% say they support all or most, 20% support some and 52% support few or none. The decline in support has come exclusively among Republicans. Last year, 67% said they supported all or most of Trump’s plans and policies. Today, 56% do. Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 20-26, 2026. PEW RESEARCH CENTER Very small shares of Democrats say they support his policies. Most (87%) support only a few or none. Related: Few Americans support Trump’s proposed takeover of Greenland. For full trend details, refer to the appendix. www.pewresearch.org 7 PEW RESEARCH CENTER Republicans increasingly say GOP members of Congress aren’t obligated to support Trump if they disagree with him % of Rep/Lean Rep who say Republicans in Congress … Do Republicans in Congress have an obligation to support Trump? Today, 38% of Republicans and Republican- leaning independents say that congressional Republicans “have an obligation to support Trump’s policies and programs because he is a Republican president.” But a far larger share (61%) say GOP members of Congress do not have an obligation to support Trump if they disagree with him. The share saying Republicans in Congress do not have this obligation is up since last year, from 55%. Note: No answer responses are not shown. Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 20-26, 2026. PEW RESEARCH CENTER www.pewresearch.org 8 PEW RESEARCH CENTER Other key findings from the survey Democrats increasingly say their congressional leaders should stand up to Trump on their issues % of Rep/Lean Rep who say Donald Trump should … % of Dem/Lean Dem who say Democratic congressional leaders should … ▪ Democrats overwhelmingly say their congressional leadership should stand up to Trump. Today, 82% (up from 70% last year) want to see their leaders pushing back against Trump, even if that makes it harder to address problems. A smaller majority of Republicans (61%) say Trump should stand up to Democratic leaders. This is similar to their views a year ago. ▪ Nearly half of Note: No answer responses are not shown. Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 20-26, 2026. PEW RESEARCH CENTER Americans (47%) now say Trump will be an unsuccessful president in the long term. This share is up 14 points since last year, with most of this change occurring among Democrats. A majority of Republicans continue to say Trump will be successful in the long run. ▪ Trump’s approval among Republicans is now 73% – down slightly since September. Older Americans, White adults and those without a college degree continue to approve of his performance more than others. See detailed tables for additional demographic breaks. www.pewresearch.org 9 PEW RESEARCH CENTER Appendix: Additional charts Confidence in Trump on several key qualities and abilities needed to serve as president % who say, thinking about the qualities needed to serve as president, they are extremely/very confident that Donald Trump … Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 20-26, 2026. PEW RESEARCH CENTER www.pewresearch.org 10 PEW RESEARCH CENTER Will Trump be a successful president in the long term? % who say Donald Trump will be a(n) ___ president in the long run Note: No answer responses are not shown. Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 20-26, 2026. PEW RESEARCH CENTER Have the Trump administration’s actions since taking office in 2025 been better or worse than expected? % who say the Trump administration’s actions since taking office last year have been ___ expected Note: No answer responses are not shown. Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 20-26, 2026. PEW RESEARCH CENTER www.pewresearch.org 11 PEW RESEARCH CENTER Public support for Trump’s policies and plans % who say they support ___ of Donald Trump’s policies and plans Note: No answer responses are not shown. Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 20-26, 2026. PEW RESEARCH CENTER www.pewresearch.org 12 PEW RESEARCH CENTER Trump’s approval rating in first year of his second term % who approve of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president 84 Rep/Lean Rep 80 75 78 74 Total 47 40 41 38 40 Dem/Lean Dem 10 7 7 6 6 73 37 5 Feb '25 Jan '26 Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 20-26, 2026. PEW RESEARCH CENTER www.pewresearch.org 13 PEW RESEARCH CENTER Acknowledgments This report is a collaborative effort based on the input and analysis of the following individuals: Research team Communications and editorial Jocelyn Kiley, Director, Political Research Steven Shepard, Associate Director, Political Research Hannah Hartig, Senior Researcher Baxter Oliphant, Senior Researcher Gabe Borelli, Research Associate Andrew Daniller, Research Associate Andy Cerda, Research Analyst Joseph Copeland, Research Analyst Shanay Gracia, Research Analyst Ted Van Green, Research Analyst Nida Asheer, Senior Communications Manager Maya Pottinger, Communications Associate David Kent, Senior Editorial Specialist Anna Jackson, Editorial Specialist Graphic design and web publishing Peter Bell, Associate Director, Design and Production Alissa Scheller, Senior Information Graphics Designer Reem Nadeem, Digital Producer Beshay Sakla, Associate Digital Producer Methodology Andrew Mercer, Senior Research Methodologist Dorene Asare-Marfo, Senior Panel Manager Dana Popky, Associate Panel Manager Arnold Lau, Research Methodologist www.pewresearch.org 14 PEW RESEARCH CENTER Methodology The American Trends Panel survey methodology Overview Data in this report comes from Wave 185 of the American Trends Panel (ATP), Pew Research Center’s nationally representative panel of randomly selected U.S. adults. The survey was conducted from Jan. 20 to Jan. 26, 2026. A total of 8,512 panelists responded out of 9,302 who were sampled, for a survey-level response rate of 92%. The cumulative response rate accounting for all stages of nonresponse and attrition is 3%. The break-off rate among panelists who logged on to the survey and completed at least one item is 2%. The margin of sampling error for the full sample of 8,512 respondents is plus or minus 1.4 percentage points. The survey includes oversamples of non-Hispanic Asian adults and adults ages 18-to-29 in order to provide more precise estimates of the opinions and experiences of these smaller demographic subgroups. These oversampled groups are weighted back to reflect their correct proportions in the population. SSRS conducted the survey for Pew Research Center via online (n=8,272) and live telephone (n=240) interviewing. Interviews were conducted in both English and Spanish. To learn more about the ATP, read “About the American Trends Panel.” Panel recruitment Since 2018, the ATP has used address-based sampling (ABS) for recruitment. A study cover letter and a pre-incentive are mailed to a stratified, random sample of households selected from the U.S. Postal Service’s Computerized Delivery Sequence File. This Postal Service file has been estimated to cover 90% to 98% of the population.1 Within each sampled household, the adult with the next birthday is selected to participate. Other details of the ABS recruitment protocol have changed over time but are available upon request.2 Prior to 2018, the ATP was recruited using landline and cellphone random-digit-dial surveys administered in English and Spanish. 1 AAPOR Task Force on Address-based Sampling. 2016. “AAPOR Report: Address-based Sampling.” 2 Email pewsurveys@pewresearch.org. www.pewresearch.org 15 PEW RESEARCH CENTER A national sample of U.S. adults has been recruited to the ATP approximately once per year since 2014. In some years, the recruitment has included additional efforts (known as an “oversample”) to improve the accuracy of data for underrepresented groups. For example, Hispanic adults, Black adults and Asian adults were oversampled in 2019, 2022 and 2023, respectively. Sample design The overall target population for this survey was noninstitutionalized persons ages 18 and older living in the United States. It featured a stratified random sample from among ATP members who previously completed Wave 183. Non-Hispanic Asian adults and adults ages 18 to 29 were selected with certainty. The remaining panelists were sampled at rates designed to ensure that the share of respondents in each stratum is proportional to its share of the U.S. adult population to the greatest extent possible. Respondent weights are adjusted to account for differential probabilities of selection as described in the Weighting section below. Questionnaire development and testing The questionnaire was developed by Pew Research Center in consultation with SSRS. The web program used for online respondents was rigorously tested on both PC and mobile devices by the SSRS project team and Pew Research Center researchers. The SSRS project team also populated test data that was analyzed in SPSS to ensure the logic and randomizations were working as intended before launching the survey. Incentives All respondents were offered a post-paid incentive for their participation. Respondents could choose to receive the post-paid incentive in the form of a check or gift code to Amazon.com, Target.com or Walmart.com. Incentive amounts ranged from $5 to $20 depending on whether the respondent belongs to a part of the population that is harder or easier to reach. Differential incentive amounts were designed to increase panel survey participation among groups that traditionally have low survey response propensities. Data collection protocol The data collection field period for this survey was Jan. 20 to Jan. 26, 2026. Surveys were conducted via self-administered web survey or by live telephone interviewing. www.pewresearch.org 16 PEW RESEARCH CENTER For panelists who take surveys online:3 Postcard notifications were mailed to a subset on Jan. 20.4 Survey invitations were sent out in two separate launches: soft launch and full launch. Sixty panelists were included in the soft launch, which began with an initial invitation sent on Jan. 20. All remaining English- and Spanish-speaking sampled online panelists were included in the full launch and were sent an invitation on Jan. 21. Invitation and reminder dates for web respondents, ATP Wave Soft launch Jan. 20, 2026 Jan. 22, 2026 Jan. 24, 2026 Full launch Jan. 21, 2026 Jan. 22, 2026 Jan. 24, 2026 Initial invitation First reminder Final reminder PEW RESEARCH CENTER Panelists participating online were sent an email invitation and up to two email reminders if they did not respond to the survey. ATP panelists who consented to SMS messages were sent an SMS invitation with a link to the survey and up to two SMS reminders. For panelists who take surveys over the phone with a live interviewer: Prenotification postcards were mailed on Jan. 16. Soft launch took place on Jan. 20 and involved dialing until a total of four interviews had been completed. All remaining English- and Spanish-speaking sampled phone panelists’ numbers were dialed throughout the remaining field period. Panelists who take surveys via phone can receive up to six calls from trained SSRS interviewers. Data quality checks To ensure high-quality data, Center researchers performed data quality checks to identify any respondents showing patterns of satisficing. This includes checking for whether respondents left questions blank at very high rates or always selected the first or last answer presented. As a result of this checking, two ATP respondents were removed from the survey dataset prior to weighting and analysis. 3 The ATP does not use routers or chains in any part of its online data collection protocol, nor are they used to direct respondents to additional surveys. 4 Postcard notifications for web panelists are sent to 1) panelists who were recruited within the last two years and 2) panelists recruited prior to the last two years who opt to continue receiving postcard notifications. www.pewresearch.org 17 PEW RESEARCH CENTER American Trends Panel weighting dimensions Variable Age (detailed) Age x Gender Education x Gender Education x Age Race/Ethnicity x Education Race/Ethnicity x Gender Race/Ethnicity x Age Born inside vs. outside the U.S. among Hispanics and Asian Americans Years lived in the U.S. Census region x Metropolitan status Volunteerism Frequency of internet use Religious affiliation Party affiliation x Race/Ethnicity Party affiliation x Age Validated 2024 presidential election turnout and vote choice Benchmark source 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 CPS Volunteering & Civic Life Supplement 2025 National Public Opinion Reference Survey (NPORS) Candidate vote share is based on official results from the Federal Election Commission. Turnout is based on estimates from the Election Lab at the University of Florida. The size of the voting-eligible population is based on the 2023 ACS. Note: Estimates from the ACS are based on noninstitutionalized adults. For weighting to the 2024 presidential election results, panelists are considered validated voters if their self- report of having voted was confirmed after matching to a national voter registry. PEW RESEARCH CENTER Weighting The ATP data is weighted in a process that accounts for multiple stages of sampling and nonresponse that occur at different points in the panel survey process. First, each panelist begins with a base weight that reflects their probability of recruitment into the panel. These weights are then calibrated to align with the population benchmarks in the accompanying table to correct for nonresponse to recruitment surveys and panel attrition. If only a subsample of panelists was invited to participate in the wave, this weight is adjusted to account for any differential probabilities of selection. Because respondents to this wave were sampled from among respondents to Wave 183, the weights were also adjusted to account for nonresponse to Wave 183. Among the panelists who completed the survey, this weight is then calibrated again to align with the population benchmarks identified in the accompanying table and trimmed at the 1st and 99th percentiles to reduce the loss in precision stemming from variance in the weights. Sampling errors and tests of statistical significance take into account the effect of weighting. www.pewresearch.org 18 PEW RESEARCH CENTER The following table shows the unweighted sample sizes and the error attributable to sampling that would be expected at the 95% level of confidence for different groups in the survey. Sample sizes and margins of error, ATP Wave 185 Group Total sample Half form Rep/Lean Rep Half form Dem/Lean Dem Half form Unweighted sample size 8,512 At least 4,250 3,913 At least 1,953 4,343 At least 2,164 Weighted % 46% 48% Plus or minus … 1.4 percentage points 2.0 percentage points 2.1 percentage points 3.0 percentage points 2.0 percentage points 2.8 percentage points Note: This survey includes oversamples of non-Hispanic Asian adults and adults ages 18-to-29 respondents. Unweighted sample sizes do not account for the sample design or weighting and do not describe a group’s contribution to weighted estimates. See the Sample design and Weighting sections above for details. PEW RESEARCH CENTER Sample sizes and sampling errors for other subgroups are available upon request. In addition to sampling error, one should bear in mind that question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of opinion polls. www.pewresearch.org 19 PEW RESEARCH CENTER Dispositions and response rates Final dispositions, ATP Wave 185 Completed interview Logged in (web) / Contacted (CATI), but did not complete any items Started survey; broke off before completion Never logged on (web) / Never reached on phone (CATI) Survey completed after close of the field period Other non-interview Completed interview but was removed for data quality Total panelists sampled for the survey Completed interviews Partial interviews Refusals Non-contact Other Unknown household Unknown other Not eligible Total AAPOR RR1 = I / (I+P+R+NC+O+UH+UO) PEW RESEARCH CENTER Cumulative response rate, ATP Wave 185 Weighted response rate to recruitment surveys % of recruitment survey respondents who agreed to join the panel, among those invited % of those agreeing to join who were active panelists at start of Wave 185 Response rate to Wave 183 survey Response rate to Wave 185 survey Cumulative response rate PEW RESEARCH CENTER © Pew Research Center 2025 www.pewresearch.org Total 8,512 145 100 541 0 2 2 9,302 8,514 0 245 541 4 0 0 0 9,302 92% AAPOR code 1.1 2.11 2.12 2.20 2.27 2.30 2.90 I P R NC O UH UO NE Total 12% 74% 40% 92% 92% 3% 20 PEW RESEARCH CENTER 2026 PEW RESEARCH CENTER’S AMERICAN TRENDS PANEL WAVE 185 POLITICS JANUARY SURVEY FINAL TOPLINE January 20-26, 2026 N=8,512 Note: This survey was conducted primarily online, with some interviews conducted by live telephone. This topline shows the programming language for online administration. For details on how questions were slightly modified for phone administration, visit the questionnaire. American Trends Panel surveys conducted between October 2016 and June 2024 were conducted fully online (with tablets and data plans provided to adults without home internet). American Trends Panel surveys conducted prior to October 2016 were conducted primarily online, with some respondents completing by mail. For additional details, visit the Methodology. * ”No answer” includes web respondents who do not answer the question as well as telephone respondents who refuse to answer or who say that they don’t know how to answer. In cases where “not sure” was offered as an explicit option to web and telephone respondents, the “no answer” category includes only web skips and telephone refusals. ASK FORM 1 ONLY [N=4,250]: SATIS All in all, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way things are going in this country today? Jan 20-26, 2026 Oct 6-16, 2025 Aug 4-10, 2025 Apr 28-May 4, 2025 Mar 10-16, 2025 Jan 27-Feb 2, 2025 Nov 12-17, 2024 Sep 30-Oct 6, 2024 Aug 5-11, 2024 Jul 1-7, 2024 May 13-19, 2024 Jan 16-21, 2024 Nov 27-Dec 3, 2023 Jul 10-16, 2023 Jun 5-11, 2023 Mar 27-Apr 2, 2023 Jan 18-24, 2023 Nov 16-27, 2022 Oct 10-16, 2022 Aug 1-14, 2022 Apr 25-May 1, 2022 Jan 10-17, 2022 Sep 20-26, 2021 Sep 13-19, 2021 Mar 1-7, 2021 Nov 12-17, 2020 Sep 30-Oct 5, 2020 Jul 27-Aug 2, 2020 Satisfied 29 27 34 32 34 38 29 23 24 18 22 21 22 22 21 19 22 24 21 18 24 21 25 26 33 22 18 12 Dissatisfied 69 72 65 67 65 61 70 76 75 82 78 78 77 77 78 80 78 75 79 81 75 78 74 74 66 77 82 87 No answer* 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 * 1 * 1 1 1 1 1 1 * 1 1 1 1 1 1 * 1 1 1 1 www.pewresearch.org 21 PEW RESEARCH CENTER SATIS CONTINUED … Jun 16-22, 2020 Apr 7-12, 2020 Mar 19-24, 2020 Oct 29-Nov 11, 2019 Oct 1-13, 2019 Jul 22-Aug 4, 2019 Nov 27-Dec 10, 2018 Jan 29-Feb 13, 2018 Feb 28-Mar 12, 20175 Sep 27-Oct 10, 2016 Jun 7-Jul 5, 2016 Sep 15-Oct 3, 2014 Satisfied 12 31 33 31 28 27 34 36 32 23 19 25 Dissatisfied 87 68 66 69 71 72 65 63 68 75 80 75 No answer* 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 * 2 1 * ASK FORM 2 ONLY [N=4,262]: YEARAHEAD Looking ahead, as far as you are concerned, do you think that 2026 will be … [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-2/2-1] Better than 2025 Worse than 2025 Jan 20-26, 2026 Jan 27-Feb 2, 2025 Jan 16-21, 2024 Jan 18-24, 2023 Jan 10-17, 2022 Jan 8-12, 2021 Jan 6-19, 2020 50 55 55 57 61 67 55 48 45 45 43 38 32 43 No answer* 1 * 1 * 1 1 2 PHONE TREND FOR COMPARISON: Looking ahead, as far as you are concerned, do you think that [coming year] will be better or worse than [prior year]? Jan 8-13, 2020 Jan 9-14, 2019 Jan 10-15, 2018 Jan 4-9, 2017 Jan 7-14, 2016 Dec 3-7, 2014 (U) Jan 15-19, 2014 Dec 5-9, 2012 Jan 11-16, 2012 Dec 1-5, 2010 Jan 6-10, 2010 Jan 7-11, 2009 December, 2007 December, 2006 December, 1999 December, 1998 December, 1994 Gallup: December, 1993 Better 55 47 61 49 56 49 56 55 57 55 67 52 50 57 66 59 59 64 Worse 34 43 29 42 30 42 35 36 29 31 26 37 34 28 19 25 28 20 (VOL.) DK/Ref 11 10 11 9 14 9 9 9 14 14 8 11 16 15 15 16 13 16 1 The W24.5 Mode Study survey was administered by web and phone. Results reported here are from web mode only. www.pewresearch.org 22 PEW RESEARCH CENTER PHONE TREND FOR COMPARISON CONTINUED Gallup: December, 1992 Gallup: December, 1991 Gallup: December, 1990 Gallup: December, 1986 Gallup: December, 1985 Gallup: December, 1984 Gallup: December, 1982 Gallup: December, 1981 Better 61 61 48 53 64 61 50 41 Worse 11 31 42 25 20 20 32 44 (VOL.) DK/Ref 28 8 10 22 17 19 18 15 ASK ALL: POL1DT ASK IF ANSWERED POL1DT (POL1DT=1,2) [N=8,378]: POL1DTSTR Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president? Do you [IF POL1DT=1: approve; IF POL1DT=2: disapprove] of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president… NET Approve Very strongly Not so strongly No answer* NET Disapprove Very strongly Not so strongly No answer* No answer* Trump Second Term Jan 20-26, 2026 Sep 22-28, 2025 Aug 4-10, 2025 Jun 2-8, 2025 Apr 7-13, 2025 Jan 27-Feb 2, 2025 Trump First Term Jan 8-12, 2021 Jul 27-Aug 2, 2020 Jun 16-22, 2020 Apr 7-12, 2020 Mar 19-24, 2020 Jan 6-19, 2020 Sep 3-15, 2019 Jul 22-Aug 4, 2019 Apr 29-May 13, 2019 Feb 4-17, 2019 Nov 7-13, 2018 Sep 24-Oct 7, 2018 Jul 30-Aug 12, 2018 Jan 29-Feb 13, 2018 Aug 8-21, 2017 Apr 4-18, 2017 Feb 28-Mar 12, 20176 37 40 38 41 40 47 29 38 39 44 45 40 40 40 40 38 41 38 40 38 36 39 44 27 29 27 30 31 37 21 n/a 29 33 34 31 31 n/a 29 n/a n/a n/a 31 29 26 27 30 10 10 11 11 9 9 7 n/a 9 10 10 9 9 n/a 10 n/a n/a n/a 9 9 10 12 13 * 1 * * * * * n/a 1 1 1 * * n/a * n/a n/a n/a * * * * * 61 58 60 58 59 51 68 59 59 53 52 58 58 59 59 61 58 61 59 60 63 61 56 49 47 47 46 48 40 56 n/a 48 42 40 46 46 n/a 48 n/a n/a n/a 48 48 49 45 43 12 11 13 12 10 11 12 n/a 11 11 11 11 11 n/a 10 n/a n/a n/a 10 12 13 15 12 * * * * * * * n/a * * * 1 1 n/a * n/a n/a n/a * * * * * 2 2 2 1 1 2 3 3 2 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 See past presidents’ approval trends: Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton 6 The W24.5 Mode Study survey was administered by web and phone. Results reported here are from web mode only. www.pewresearch.org 23 PEW RESEARCH CENTER ASK ALL: DTSUCCESS Jan 20-26, 2026 31 47 21 1 In the long run, do you think Donald Trump will be… [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-2/2-1, HOLDING 3 LAST] A successful president An unsuccessful president Too early to tell No answer* Jan 27-Feb 2, 2025 35 33 31 1 Jan 6-19, 2020 34 48 18 1 TREND FOR COMPARISON: In the long run, do you think Joe Biden will be… A successful president An unsuccessful president Too early to tell No answer Jan 8-12, 2021 29 26 44 1 PHONE TREND FOR COMPARISON In the long run, do you think Donald Trump will be a successful or unsuccessful president, or do you think it is too early to tell? Successful Unsuccessful Too early to tell (VOL.) DK/Ref Trump Jan 8-13, 2020 Jan 9-14, 2019 Jan 10-15, 2018 Jan 4-9, 2017 Obama Jan 7-14, 2016 Jan 7-11, 2015 Jan 15-19, 2014 Jun 12-16, 2013 Jan 9-13, 2013 Jan 11-16, 2012 Jan 5-9, 2011 Jan 6-10, 2010 Sep 30-Oct 4, 2009 Jan 7-11, 2009 Bush January, 2007 January, 2006 Early October, 2005 January, 2005 December, 2003 Early October, 2002 January, 2001 Clinton January, 1999 Early September, 1998 February, 1995 October, 1994 May, 1994 January, 1994 October, 1993 September, 1993 August, 1993 36 29 23 21 37 32 28 34 33 27 25 24 27 30 24 27 26 36 39 40 26 44 38 18 14 21 21 18 22 13 37 47 41 20 34 38 34 31 26 32 26 21 18 4 45 37 41 27 20 15 15 24 24 34 35 26 19 25 22 25 26 23 34 58 26 29 35 33 39 39 47 52 54 65 27 32 30 35 38 44 58 29 35 43 48 52 57 56 54 60 1 1 1 1 3 2 3 2 2 2 2 3 2 1 4 4 3 2 3 1 1 3 3 5 3 1 3 1 2 2 www.pewresearch.org 24 PEW RESEARCH CENTER ASK ALL: QUALPRES_TRMP Thinking about the qualities needed to serve as president, how confident are you that Donald Trump…7 [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-5/5-1] Extremely confident Very confident Somewhat confident Not too confident Not at all confident No answer* MF Has the mental fitness needed to do the job Jan 20-26, 2026 Jan 27-Feb 2, 20258 Apr 8-14, 2024 ▪ PHY ▪ Has the physical fitness needed to do the job Jan 20-26, 2026 Jan 27-Feb 2, 20259 Apr 8-14, 2024 ▪ ▪ ▪ FIRM ASK FORM 1 ONLY [N=4,250] Has the leadership skills needed to do the job Jan 20-26, 2026 Jan 27-Feb 2, 2025 RSP Respects the country’s democratic values Jan 20-26, 2026 Jan 27-Feb 2, 2025 Apr 8-14, 2024 ASK FORM 2 ONLY [N=4,262] ADV Picks good advisers Jan 20-26, 2026 Jan 27-Feb 2, 202510 Apr 8-14, 2024 ▪ ▪ ▪ ETHETH Acts ethically in office Jan 20-26, 2026 Jan 27-Feb 2, 2025 Apr 8-14, 2024 17 23 20 12 17 15 19 25 13 17 17 11 16 11 9 15 11 15 17 15 15 18 18 15 15 12 14 13 14 15 14 12 13 12 16 16 17 22 24 26 14 16 15 16 16 18 18 22 18 17 17 14 14 15 19 17 17 14 13 15 14 12 17 14 15 15 14 14 37 30 32 31 24 23 36 30 43 39 41 40 37 37 45 40 45 * * * 1 1 * * * 1 * 1 1 1 1 1 * 1 7 8 9 10 Prior to January 2026, question was worded: “Thinking about the qualities needed to effectively serve another term as president, how confident are you that Donald Trump…” Prior to January 2026, the word “mental” was not underlined. Prior to January 2026, the word “physical” was not underlined. Prior to January 2026, the word “advisers” was spelled “advisors.” www.pewresearch.org 25 PEW RESEARCH CENTER ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS HELD FOR FUTURE RELEASE ASK FORM 1 ONLY [N=4,250]: Thinking about important issues facing the country today… TRUMPISSUE1 Overall, would you say you tend to agree with Donald Trump on… [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-4/4-1] Jan 20-26, 2026 13 27 22 37 1 All or nearly all issues Many, but not all issues A few issues No or almost no issues No answer* PHONE TREND FOR COMPARISON: Jul 1-7, 2024 16 25 23 35 1 Feb 4-15, 2020 19 23 23 34 1 Apr 25-May 1 2018 19 22 24 33 2 Aug 15-21 2017 15 18 21 45 1 ASK FORM 1 ONLY [N=4,250]: TRUMPISSUE2 Now thinking not about issues, but just about the way Donald Trump conducts himself as president, would you say you... [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-3/3-1] Jan 20-26, 2026 16 32 51 1 Like the way he conducts himself Have mixed feelings about the way he conducts himself Don’t like the way he conducts himself No answer* Jul 1-7, 202411 13 Feb 4-15, 202012 15 32 54 1 30 53 3 PHONE TREND FOR COMPARISON: Apr 25-May 1 2018 Aug 15-21 2017 19 26 54 2 16 25 58 1 ASK FORM 2 ONLY [N=4,262]: NEWPRES_SUPP How many of Donald Trump’s policies and plans would you say you support? [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-5/5-1] Jan 20-26, 2026 6 22 20 26 26 1 All of them Most of them Some of them Only a few of them None of them No answer* Jan 27-Feb 2, 2025 9 25 17 23 24 1 11 12 In July 2024, the question was worded “Now thinking NOT about issues, but about Donald Trump’s personal conduct, would you say you…” In February 2020, the question was worded “Now thinking NOT about issues, but just about the way Donald Trump conducts himself as president, would you say you…” www.pewresearch.org 26 PEW RESEARCH CENTER ASK FORM 2 ONLY [N=4,262]: NEWPRES_ACTNS Would you say the Trump administration's actions since taking office last year have been... [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-5/5-1] Jan 20-26, 2026 11 10 28 15 34 1 A lot better than you expected A little better than you expected About what you expected A little worse than you expected A lot worse than you expected No answer* Jun 2-8, 202513 11 10 31 17 32 * Jan 27-Feb 2, 2025 17 11 36 12 24 1 ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS HELD FOR FUTURE RELEASE [RANDOMIZE ORDER OF PRESWITHOP AND OPWITHPRES SUCH THAT FORM 1 (X_FORM=1) GETS PRESWITHOP FIRST AND OPWITHPRES SECOND WHILE FORM 2 (X_FORM=2) GETS OPWITHPRES FIRST AND PRESWITHOP SECOND] ASK FORM 1 ONLY [N=4,250]: PRESWITHOP This year, do you think Donald Trump should... [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-2/2-1 IN SAME ORDER AS OPWITHPRES] Jan 20-26, 2026 64 33 2 Try as best he can to work with Democratic congressional leaders to accomplish things, even if it means disappointing people who voted for him Stand up to Democratic congressional leaders on issues that are important to people who voted for him, even if it means it’s harder to address critical problems facing the country No answer* Jan 27-Feb 2, 2025 63 35 2 TREND FOR COMPARISON This year, do you think Joe Biden should… Try as best he can to work with Republican congressional leaders to accomplish things, even if it means disappointing some people who voted for him Stand up to Republican congressional leaders on issues that are important to the people who voted for him, even if it means it’s harder to address critical problems facing the country No answer Jan 16-21 2024 74 Jan 18-24, 2023 73 Jan 10-17, 2022 67 Jan 8-12, 202114 74 24 25 29 23 2 2 4 3 13 14 Prior to January 2026, the question was worded “Would you say the Trump administration’s actions so far have been…” In January 2021, second response option was worded as “ … on issues that are important to his supporters …”. www.pewresearch.org 27 PEW RESEARCH CENTER ASK FORM 2 ONLY [N=4,262]: OPWITHPRES This year, do you think Democratic congressional leaders should... [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-2/2-1 IN SAME ORDER AS PRESWITHOP] Jan 20-26, 2026 49 49 2 Try as best they can to work with Donald Trump to accomplish things, even if it means disappointing people who voted for them Stand up to Donald Trump on issues that are important to people who voted for them, even if it means it’s harder to address critical problems facing the country No answer* Jan 27-Feb 2, 2025 55 43 2 TREND FOR COMPARISON This year, do you think Republican congressional leaders should… Try as best they can to work with Joe Biden to accomplish things, even if it means disappointing some Republican voters Stand up to Joe Biden on issues that are important to Republican voters, even if it means it’s harder to address critical problems facing the country No answer Jan 16-21 2024 60 Jan 18-24, 2023 63 Jan 10-17, 2022 61 Jan 8-12, 2021 66 37 35 37 3 2 2 31 3 ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS HELD FOR FUTURE RELEASE ASK ALL: IMMIG_FAVOPP Thinking about immigration policy, do you favor or oppose each of the following? [RANDOMIZE ITEMS; ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-4/4-1 IN SAME ORDER AS VEN_MADREMV] Strongly favor Somewhat favor Somewhat oppose Strongly oppose No answer* SCMED FEE ASY MIL Requiring people who want to enter the U.S. to let immigration officers review their social media accounts Jan 20-26, 2026 Giving people priority in the immigration process if they pay a $1 million fee Jan 20-26, 2026 Suspending all asylum applications from people seeking to live in the U.S. to escape violence or danger Jan 20-26, 2026 Maintaining a large military presence at the U.S. border with Mexico Jan 20-26, 2026 25 31 20 23 5 14 20 60 11 21 30 36 31 31 21 16 2 2 2 1 www.pewresearch.org 28 PEW RESEARCH CENTER IMMIG_FAVOPP CONTINUED … DTN PAU75 Keeping large numbers of immigrants in detention centers while their cases are decided Jan 20-26, 2026 Pausing visa applications from people in 75 countries seeking to legally immigrate to the U.S. Jan 20-26, 2026 Strongly favor Somewhat favor Somewhat oppose Strongly oppose No answer* 14 21 24 40 16 23 30 30 2 2 ADDITONAL QUESTIONS HELD FOR FUTURE RELEASE [RANDOMIZE ORDER OF IMMIGPPL_ACCEPT AND IMMIGAGNT_ACCEPT] ASK ALL: IMMIGPPL_ACCEPT Do you think each of the following is acceptable or unacceptable for people to do? [RANDOMIZE ITEMS; ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-4/4-1 IN SAME ORDER AS IMMIGAGNT_ACCEPT] Definitely acceptable Probably acceptable Probably unacceptable Definitely unacceptable No answer* VDEO TRCK REPT Record video of immigration officers while they make arrests Jan 20-26, 2026 Share information about where immigration officers are arresting people Jan 20-26, 2026 Report people who they think may be in the country illegally to immigration officers Jan 20-26, 2026 48 26 13 12 35 24 18 22 22 30 22 25 1 1 2 www.pewresearch.org 29 PEW RESEARCH CENTER ASK ALL: IMMIGAGNT_ACCEPT Do you think each of the following is acceptable or unacceptable for federal immigration officers to do? [RANDOMIZE ITEMS; ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-4/4-1 IN SAME ORDER AS IMMIGPPL_ACCEPT] Definitely acceptable Probably acceptable Probably unacceptable Definitely unacceptable No answer* MASK Wear face coverings that hide their identities while working Jan 20-26, 2026 NGBH RLAN Increase their presence in neighborhoods with many immigrants Jan 20-26, 2026 Use a person’s looks or the language they speak as a reason to check their immigration status Jan 20-26, 2026 CITZ Arrest U.S. citizens who help people avoid immigration officers Jan 20-26, 2026 21 16 15 46 18 26 21 33 10 18 20 23 21 20 51 34 1 1 1 2 ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS HELD FOR FUTURE RELEASE ASK FORM 1 ONLY [N=4,250]: EXPAND_GRNLND_MOD Donald Trump has mentioned an interest in the U.S. taking over Greenland. How likely do you think it is that Donald Trump will do this? [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-5/5-1 HOLDING 6 LAST] Jan 20-26, 2026 8 12 21 22 17 Extremely likely Very likely Somewhat likely Not too likely Not at all likely 19 1 Not sure No answer* Mar 24-30, 202515 7 16 28 22 13 14 * 15 In the 2025 survey, question was worded “Donald Trump has mentioned an interest in the U.S. taking over Greenland. How likely do you think it is that Donald Trump will pursue this?” www.pewresearch.org 30 PEW RESEARCH CENTER ASK FORM 1 ONLY [N=4,250]: EXPAND2_GRNLND Do you favor or oppose the U.S. taking over Greenland, as Donald Trump has proposed? [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-4/4-1 HOLDING 5 LAST] Jan 20-26, 2026 10 12 13 45 Strongly favor Somewhat favor Somewhat oppose Strongly oppose 20 1 Not sure No answer* Mar 24-30, 2025 8 15 12 43 22 1 ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS HELD FOR FUTURE RELEASE ASK REPUBLICAN AND REPUBLICAN LEANERS (XPARTYSUMFINAL=1) [N=3,913]: Which comes closer to your view, even if neither is exactly right? REPWORKTRMP Republicans in Congress… [ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-2/2-1] Jan 20-26, 2026 38 61 1 Have an obligation to support Donald Trump’s policies and programs because he is a Republican president Do not have an obligation to support Donald Trump’s policies and programs if they disagree with him No answer* Jan 27-Feb 2, 2025 44 55 1 ASK ALL: PARTY ASK IF INDEP/SOMETHING ELSE (PARTY=3,4 OR REFUSED): As of today do you lean more to…16 PARTYLN In politics today, do you consider yourself a… Republican 28 Democrat Independent 26 29 Something else 15 No answer* 2 Lean Rep 18 Lean Dem 21 16 PARTY and PARTYLN asked in a prior survey. www.pewresearch.org