As President Donald Trump enters his 50th day in his second spell at the helm, his trumpet of proclamation posits America’s ‘return.’ Seven weeks into his renewed stewardship, Trump prides himself on steering the nation ‘at a highly accelerated speed.’ ’50 Days, 50 Victories: Trump Answers America’s Plea,’ announced an official White House communique on Monday, airing Trump’s triumphs, including several contentious ones, since his inaugural ceremony on January 20. Yet, the most recent nationwide surveys beg to differ, exhibiting an unsettled America, torn over its verdict on Trump’s performance thus far. Trump’s validation took a plunge in three polls – by Reuters/Ipsos, CNN, and NPR/PBS/Marist – all conducted ahead of his presidential address last week to a joint assembly of Congress, his first significant prime time discourse of his second term.
In the face of these setbacks, Trump seized the opportunity to peddle his achievements in other recent polls where his approval ratings were resoundingly positive. Trump, an avid analyzer of public sentiment predictions, was quick to highlight his ‘Highest Approval Ratings Since Inauguration.’ While the American public stands divided on Trump’s accolades, his approval ratings for the second term denote a marked improvement from his initially unfavorable run in 2017 which saw him deep underwater for the bulk of his four-year stint.
However, recent stats point to a minor decay in support. A roundup of all the latest national polls suggests that Trump’s approval ratings are cautiously treading above water. Furthermore, Trump’s numbers have experienced a slight deflation since his reentry to the White House in late January, where an average of his polls inferred a presidential approval rating in the low 50s and disapproval lurking in the mid 40s.
Insulating these figures, a GOP pollster accentuated that Trump’s ratings, albeit fluctuating, are escalating compared to any point during his first term. His base is still unwaveringly supporting him. From the lens of a seasoned politics professor at the University of Texas, Trump’s unyielding Republican backing becomes even more apparent. ‘He had minimal Democrat backing in his first term and also hit some roadblocks with Republicans,’ the professor observed. ‘The stark contrast between his 2017 and 2025 terms is the unanimous backing he now receives from the party.’
In his second round of duty at the White House, Trump has set a blistering pace in his inaugural seven weeks, passing a flurry of executive orders and decisions. These actions have not only accomplished some of his key campaign vows but have also allowed him to flex his presidential authority, imprinting a distinctive Trump brand on the federal government. Among his crucial moves are large-scale slashes to federal staffing levels and resolution of some longstanding grievances. Trump’s current tally of 89 executive decrees signed since his inauguration far surpasses any comparable period for his most recent predecessors.
Pacing himself through his second term, Trump has implemented sweeping reforms on immigration, imposed hefty tariffs on principal trade counterparts including Canada and Mexico, and brought a seismic shift to the country’s foreign policy by blocking aid to Ukraine and tangling with its president in the Oval Office. ‘The floodgate of policies has rendered the Democrats in a state of chaos,’ quipped another GOP pollster.
Citing frigid approval ratings for the Democratic Party, the GOP pollster affirmed that despite a ripple in Trump’s popularity, the Democrats haven’t benefitted. Despite holding a stronger pole position in his second term than his inaugural one, Trump’s approval ratings are still more subdued seven weeks into his second term than any of his recent White House forerunners. Neither Trump nor former incumbent Joe Biden ‘had an overwhelming public mandate. This is not the typical goodwill period that new presidents usually enjoy…’, one commentator noted.
Biden’s approval rates oscillated in the low to mid-50s for the first half of his sole term as president, while opposition ranged in the high 30s to the low to mid-40s. However, following his widely criticized handling of the tumultuous American exit from Afghanistan, coupled with soaring inflation rates and a surge of migrants breaching the U.S. border along Mexico, Biden’s approval ratings plunged into the depths of negativity in the later stages of 2021.
Akin to a fiscal ship on stormy waters, Biden never found a way to change the tide and his ratings continued to spiral downwards throughout his presidency. ‘He was utterly hamstrung and couldn’t find his footing again,’ a researcher surmised. Despite bolstering his position in the White House, cautionary clouds do loom over Trump.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll suggests only one-third of Americans are supportive of the President’s approach to managing the cost of living. Inflation, the topic that pushed Trump back into the presidential office, continues to profoundly impact his political prospects. ‘If prices stay high, he’s going to face an uphill battle,’ a keen observer noted.