On the day of his State of the Union address, Donald Trump faces a nation that has turned decisively against him. Two major polls released this week — a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos survey and a CNN/SSRS poll — paint a devastating portrait of a president who has lost the country’s confidence on virtually every issue that matters.
The Numbers Are Brutal
Trump’s job approval rating among all adults remains mired at 36%, according to CNN. His disapproval has soared to 60 % or higher. Nearly half of all Americans strongly disapprove of his job performance. The last time Trump’s disapproval touched 60 % was in the aftermath of the January 6th attack on the Capitol — and now he’s right back there, this time with nothing to blame but his own governance.
Among independents — the voters who decide elections — Trump’s approval has cratered to just 26% — a 15-point plunge over the past year and the lowest mark of either of his terms. 69% of independents now disapprove.
Skip Trump’s State of the Union and Watch the “People’s State of the Union Rally” Instead
Full details: www.mobilize.us/moveon/event/903012
Join MeidasTouch and MoveOn as we present the People’s State of the Union alongside elected officials, partners, allies and directly impacted Americans..
We cannot give Trump the attention he wants, or validate his lies to the American people. We cannot treat this State of the Union like business as usual.
A Failure on Affordability
Americans elected Trump on a singular promise: he would bring down prices and fix the economy. He has failed.
Today, 48% of Americans say the economy has gotten worse since President Trump took office in January 2025, while 29% say it has improved. This 19-point gap reflects widespread disapproval of his handling of inflation and tariffs, with 57% of Americans overall disapproving of his economic management. On the economy overall, just 41 % approve.
Government data released last week confirmed what Americans sitting at kitchen tables already know: economic growth slowed sharply at the end of 2025, weakened by Trump’s tariffs and the government shutdown he engineered last fall. His worst rating on any issue is inflation — a catastrophic 32% approval rating.
When asked what they most want to hear Trump address in his speech on Tuesday, 57% of Americans chose the economy and the cost of living, quadrupling the share for every other topic. Even 65% of Republicans want him to talk about the economy, a sign that his own base is feeling the squeeze.
Tariffs Struck Down, Policies Rejected
Trump’s signature tariff policies have never been popular, and a year of rhetoric hasn’t moved the needle: 64% disapprove of his handling of tariffs, unchanged from last April. On Friday, the Supreme Court delivered a sharp rebuke, striking down the tariffs entirely and ruling that Trump exceeded his authority by imposing them unilaterally.
That ruling underscores a broader public verdict: 65% of Americans say Trump has gone beyond the authority of his office, up from 57% at the start of his second term. Sixty-one percent say his policies will move the country in the wrong direction.
Immigration Is Turning Against Him
Immigration was Trump’s other winning issue in 2024. It’s slipping away. While Americans remain narrowly split on the concept of deportation (50-48), nearly six in ten — 58%— say he is going too far in his methods, up 10 points in just 10 months.
The turning point was Minnesota. After ICE operations resulted in the murders of American citizens, massive demonstrations erupted, and approximately six in ten Americans now oppose ICE’s enforcement tactics. Trump was forced to soften his tone and begin withdrawing ICE from the state — a stunning reversal for a president who built his brand on immigration hardline rhetoric.
Dishonest, demented and greedy
Americans are rendering a harsh personal verdict. Seventy percent — the highest ever recorded in a Post-ABC poll — say Trump is not honest and trustworthy. Fifty-six percent say he lacks the mental sharpness to serve effectively, a number that has climbed steadily over three years. On physical fitness, Americans are now split nearly evenly (48-51), a dramatic decline from the 57% who said he was physically fit just two years ago.
- More than six in ten Americans (62%) say Trump is using the presidency to enrich himself.
- Fifty-six percent say he is not committed to protecting Americans’ rights and freedoms.
- 56 percent say his administration has not been transparent about the Epstein files.
Vaccines, Greenland, and Overreach
The damage extends to every corner of Trump’s agenda. Fifty-three percent of Americans oppose RFK Jr.’s push to recommend fewer childhood vaccines — only 21% support it. A majority (54%) oppose Trump’s use of military threats against other countries, including his earlier saber-rattling over Greenland and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Sixty-eight percent of Americans say Trump hasn’t paid enough attention to the country’s most important problems — the worst reading on that question in either of his terms.
A Pariah Alone
The picture heading into Tuesday night is unmistakable. Trump has lost independents. He is hemorrhaging Latino support (down 19 points) and young voters (down 18 points). His own party’s enthusiasm is flagging. The Supreme Court is reining him in. The economy he promised to fix is sputtering. The immigration crackdown he promised to execute is backfiring. And the American people, by overwhelming margins, say he is dishonest, overreaching, self-enriching, and focused on the wrong things.
This is not a president on shaky ground. This is a president in freefall — and Tuesday’s speech won’t come with a parachute.
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