President Donald Trump’s approval rating rose to 50 percent in a new RMG Research poll, marking his strongest showing by the pollster in more than a month.
Why It Matters
A strong approval rating helps boost support for Trump’s administration and allows it to paint a picture of progress and renewal in Trump’s first year back in office. However, a negative approval rating might create party division and persuade Trump to change course on certain issues.
The polling comes as Republicans and Democrats are gearing up for the 2026 midterm elections. The GOP has a majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate, and losing just a few seats could make it difficult for the GOP to carry out its agenda during the rest of Trump’s term.
What To Know
Napolitan News Service, founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen, sponsored the poll and published the president’s weekly job approval numbers.
The latest survey of 3,000 registered voters, conducted December 10 to 18, found 50 percent approve of Trump’s job performance and 49 percent disapprove. The poll was conducted by RMG Research and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points.
A week earlier, the poll showed 47 percent approval and 51 percent disapproval. The previous week was among Trump’s weakest readings in the series since July, at 45 percent approval and 53 percent disapproval.
However, the poll found more respondents strongly disapprove of Trump than strongly approve, with 38 percent saying they strongly disapprove and 27 percent saying they strongly approve.
Data from Emerson College Polling indicates that 41 percent of people approve of Trump’s job performance, while 50 percent disapprove. The survey of 1,000 voters was conducted between December 14 and 15, 2025, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Meanwhile, Morning Consult found in December that Trump’s net approval rating was above water in 22 states, a slight improvement from a similar point in his first term, when his net approval rating was net positive in 21 states.
A recent Fox News poll highlighted the erosion of public satisfaction in the handling of a key pillar of Trump’s political identity, economic stewardship, at a pivotal moment before the 2026 midterm elections.
The poll of 1,001 registered voters conducted between December 12 and 15 found 44 percent of respondents said they approve of the job Trump is doing as president, while 56 percent said they disapprove. On the economy, 39 percent said they approve of his handling, compared with 61 percent who disapprove.
What People Are Saying
Pollster Harry Enten said earlier this week on X: “Donald Trump was elected to fix the economy. It was a strength for him during his first term, but at this point it is an anchor on him. And that is why we’re seeing poll after poll after poll showing him with a net negative approval rating.”
White House spokesperson Kush Desai told Newsweek in an email Thursday about a different poll: “President Trump was resoundingly re-elected one year ago precisely because he, unlike Democrats, understood and acknowledged Joe Biden’s economic disaster. Turning the page on the Biden inflation and affordability crisis has been a Day One priority for the President, while much work remains, today’s expectation-beating inflation report is the latest proof that the Administration’s robust economic agenda will continue to pay off for everyday Americans.”
What Happens Next
Public opinion and polling often shift, and will continue before the midterm elections.
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