When it comes to politics, numbers often tell the story better than headlines. As we step further into 2025, the spotlight on Donald Trump’s approval rating is brighter than ever, with fresh polling offering a clear—if sobering—picture of how Americans feel about his second term in the White House. Alongside this, there’s still plenty of interest in Joe Biden’s numbers, especially as voters reflect on his legacy and compare it with Trump’s performance.
Trump approval rating 2025
So, how is Trump doing with the American public this year? In short: not great. Most polls put him in the high 30s to low 40s, which is far from the kind of broad-based support he’d like to claim.
- Gallup (July 2025): Trump’s approval rating dropped to 37%, his lowest mark of this term. What’s striking is the steep fall among independents—just 29% of them approve of his job performance, compared to much higher numbers earlier in the year.
- Quinnipiac (August 2025): The story is similar here—37% approval and 55% disapproval. That net –18 rating is among the worst of his presidency.
- Pew Research (August 2025): Pew has Trump sitting at 38% approval, down from 41% earlier in the summer. Among younger Trump voters (under 35), support has fallen sharply, with approval sliding 23 points.
- Emerson College (August 2025): This one gives Trump a bit of breathing room, showing 45% approval and 47% disapproval, though still underwater.
Overall, the consensus is clear: Trump is struggling to expand beyond his loyal base.
The Partisan Divide
If there’s one thing consistent about Trump’s numbers, it’s the polarization. Among Republicans, he continues to enjoy overwhelming support—close to 90% approval in some surveys. Among Democrats, though, approval is practically non-existent, hovering around 1%. That creates a massive partisan gap, over 90 points wide, one of the starkest divides in modern polling history.
Independents, meanwhile, are the real story of 2025. Once a swing group Trump could occasionally court, they’ve grown steadily disenchanted. Gallup’s finding of 29% approval among independents is particularly telling and could spell long-term political trouble.
What’s Behind the Numbers?
Several issues seem to be dragging Trump down this year:
- Economic Policies: Tariffs, deficit-slashing measures, and changes to taxation have left many Americans uneasy. The highly publicized “One Big Beautiful Bill” has faced widespread criticism.
- Policy Unpopularity: Polling shows that both his tariffs and his major spending bills have more opposition than support.
- Youth Discontent: Younger voters, including those who previously backed him, are increasingly unhappy with his approach, especially on economic issues.
- Style and Tone: Trump’s confrontational style continues to play well with his base but alienates moderates and independents.
Interestingly, despite all this, his overall numbers haven’t collapsed completely. Instead, they’ve stayed locked in the same tight band between 37–40%, showing how entrenched opinions about Trump really are.
And What About Biden?
While Biden is no longer in the White House, his polling still matters for comparison. Toward the end of his presidency in late 2024, Biden’s approval rating averaged around 42%, with 55% disapproval. That was actually his best showing in a year, thanks to small improvements in how Americans viewed his handling of the economy and foreign policy.
Now, as Trump’s presidency unfolds, Biden’s numbers provide a reference point: both men struggle with majority approval, but Trump’s partisan gap and weaker support among independents stand out.
Final Thoughts
So, what can we take away from all this? The latest polling on Trump’s approval rating in 2025 tells us three things loud and clear:
- His base is rock solid, but it isn’t growing.
- Independents are slipping away in large numbers.
- Major policies are proving unpopular outside the Republican Party.
With approval ratings stuck in the high 30s, Trump faces a political environment that is deeply divided and increasingly skeptical. Biden’s own challenges in office highlight how tough the presidency can be, but Trump’s uniquely wide partisan gap—and his inability to win over independents—makes his path even steeper.
For now, it looks like 2025 is shaping up to be another year of stubborn numbers, strong partisanship, and a country watching closely to see if those approval ratings will ever climb higher.