Trump's economic approval rating hits new low, poll finds

By — Hannah Grabenstein Hannah Grabenstein Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trumps-economic-approval-rating-hits-new-low-poll-finds Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Trump's economic approval rating hits new low, poll finds Politics Jun 18, 2026 5:00 AM EDT A third of Americans approve of the way President Donald Trump is handling the economy, a new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll finds , amounting to his lowest-ever approval rating on an issue long considered to be one of his strengths with voters. Sixty percent of Americans overall disapprove of Trump's economic approach. The 33% who approve mark the lowest since Marist began asking the question in 2019. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Economic anxieties were part of what fueled Trump's return to office. Seventy-seven percent of people who voted for Trump in 2024 approve of how he's handling that issue now. But some voting groups that Trump handily won aren't happy. That includes 54% of white voters without a college degree. High — but dropping — gas prices may be behind some of that disapproval. Seventy-eight percent of Americans said gas prices had some effect on their household budgets. Seventy-eight percent of Americans said gas prices had some effect on their household budgets, according to the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist poll. Graphic by Steff Staples/PBS News Trump's economic approval rating is within the margin of error from his previous all-time low earlier this year. But it's also lower than what former President Joe Biden experienced at any point during his single term. In December 2020, right before Trump left office, half of Americans approved of how he was handling the economy. The data shows Americans are connecting affordability challenges, such as the high price of gas and rising food costs, with Trump's presidency, said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion. For some, "it's Donald Trump, and that's where the slippage comes in. He can't get away with high prices at the pump and at the supermarket and not get tarnished by that," Miringoff said. A third of Americans approve of the way President Donald Trump is handling the economy, a new PBS/NPR/Marist poll finds, amounting to his lowest-ever approval rating on an issue long considered to be one of his strengths with voters. Graphic by Steff Staples/PBS News Others who blamed high gas prices on Biden may remain in Trump's corner because they now believe the corporations are price gouging, he added. Gas prices are down about 50 cents per gallon from last month after rising steadily since March, but remain about 79 cents higher than they were last year. People may not yet be used to drops, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, adding that much of the U.S. still sees prices above $4 per gallon. Americans' dismal views