Pessimism about the direction of the country has risen back to where it stood when President Donald Trump returned to office last year, underscoring the political headwinds facing the president ahead of November’s midterm elections.
RealClearPolitics’ average of polls shows 61 percent of Americans believe the country is on the “wrong track” as of April 28, marking the first time public sentiment has reached that level during Trump’s second term. Some 61.6 percent of Americans thought the county was heading in the wrong direction on January 18, 2025, two days before Trump was inaugurated for a second term, according to RealClearPolitics’ average.
It comes as polls have shown the president’s approval rating has dropped in recent months, and that his rating on handling of all major issues including the economy remain underwater amid high grocery and gas prices due to the Iran war.
Why It Matters
High numbers of Americans viewing the country as heading in the wrong direction have historically been a warning sign for the incumbent president’s party.
Such polls take on increased relevance ahead of the midterms, when Republicans need to defend slim majorities in the House and Senate. Losing either could allow Democrats to stifle parts of Trump’s agenda in the remaining two years of his second term.
What The Polls Say
Several polls conducted in April found almost two-thirds of Americans think the nation is on the “wrong track.”
An ABC News/Washington Post poll conducted between April 24 and 28 among 2,058 registered voters found just 34 percent thought the country was heading in the right direction, while 65 percent think it is on the “wrong track.”
An Economist/YouGov survey conducted between April 24 and 27 among 1,646 registered voters found 32 percent think the country is moving in the right directions while 62 percent think otherwise. And a Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted during the same period among 1,269 Americans found just 19 percent think the country is heading in the right direction, while 64 percent think it is on the “wrong track.”
The polling question about the direction of the country is “a pretty reliable bellwether,” Grant Davis Reeher, a professor of political science at Syracuse University, told Newsweek.
“Normally, increases in the ‘wrong track’ response suggest problems for the incumbent president or incumbent party. So this result, taken alone, would suggest problems for the Republicans going into the midterms. This time, however, the popularity of the brand for the Democrats is extremely low as well.”
But Reeher said the findings are still a good sign for Democrats since midterms “are more reactions to the previous year and a half, than about the future.”
He added: “For the presidential election in 2028, if those negative views hold until then, it would suggest a desire for a change in the top leadership, and again benefits the Democrats. But Democrats will have to articulate a positive alternative vision to take full advantage of it.”
The ABC News/Washington Post poll also showed Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 37 percent, with a disapproval rating of 62 percent—a record high disapproval rating across both of his presidential terms.
Trump began his second term with an approval rating of about 50 percent and a disapproval rating of about 44 percent, according to RCP’s average of polls on January 27, 2025. He saw a sharp drop in his approval after imposing widespread tariffs in April last year, and has seen his approval rating drop again since the Iran war began in late February.
The ABC News/Washington Post poll also found that across every major policy area tested—including the economy, immigration, inflation, taxes and foreign policy—respondents viewed Trump’s handling of the issue more negatively than positively.
A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll conducted between April 23 and 26 also found Trump’s approval rating is underwater on all key issues including the economy, foreign policy and immigration. The survey found Trump’s approval rating is weakest on his handling inflation, with just 37 percent approval, followed by his management of the Iran conflict with 39 percent approval.
Trump has pushed back on negative polls.
“It is a problem I’m not on the ballot,” he said in an interview on Newsmax recently. “Everyone says if I was on a ballot, we’d win in a landslide. I have some of the best poll numbers I’ve ever had.”
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